Crack in the Gütsch Steel nets and concrete to protect Lucerne residents from rockfall
A rock at Gütsch has cracked and is threatening several residential buildings and the SBB railroad line. The city authorities have introduced short-term and long-term measures to protect the population.
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- On the Gütsch in Lucerne, where the Hotel Schönegg stands, a rock has cracked and is threatening to break off.
- Two weeks ago, the city authorities took immediate measures to protect several residential buildings and the SBB railroad line.
- Now they are providing information on how they intend to secure the rock and the threatened infrastructure in the long term.
In mid-September, the city announced that a 13,000-tonne boulder was threatening to fall from Gütschhügel. Part of the Schlössli Schönegg, the Gütschweg, the SBB portal of the Gütsch tunnel and four residential buildings would be affected by a rockfall.
As an immediate measure, the town has had steel palisades flown in by helicopter. These are intended to reduce the risk of falling rocks and mitigate the damage should large boulders break loose.
12 people are now only allowed to use the rooms in their homes on the mountain side to an extremely limited extent. There are also restrictions for business premises and an emergency shelter, which are also located in the region of a possible rockfall.
"The rock has not moved"
City Councillor Marco Müller lists the measures that have already been taken and those that are to follow in front of the media. Mobile steel palisades - scaffolding and nets - are to stop pieces of rock breaking off.
He emphasizes that measurements of the rock in the two weeks since the crack was discovered have shown that it has not moved. "Nevertheless, the risk of rockfall continues," emphasizes the head of the Environment and Mobility Directorate.
The emergency shelter can no longer use all rooms due to the danger. This would have restricted operations to such an extent that they could not continue, explains Christian Wandeler, Safety Manager for the City of Lucerne. Those responsible have therefore looked for a new location and have already put it into operation. As the emergency shelter is now located in a different district, the authorities are in contact with those responsible and residents of the affected neighborhood.
Protection against rockfall and rock stabilization
Beda Müller, Head of Urban Drainage and Natural Hazards, explains that the fall area will be cleared in the coming weeks. The experts will then gain access to the crumbling rock. It is always important to ensure the safety of the construction workers.
On the one hand, the measures protect the population from falling rocks, which is why the nets have been installed. The longer-term precautions are intended to prevent the rock from breaking off.
The rock is to be secured with anchors and shotcrete. The aim is to complete the work in January 2025. However, further work will be carried out until spring 2025.
In response to a question from a journalist, Beda Müller explains that no residents have wanted to leave their homes because they are only allowed to use part of the rooms - "although the restriction is quite severe in one case", he adds.