Due to huge crevasse Valais municipality demolishes historic bridge
View of the demolished bridge over the Navizence in Chippis.
Image: Keystone
The demolished bridge in Chippis was built in 1888.
Image: Keystone
The worst-case scenario is a landslide of the entire mass. However, experts are currently expecting several smaller partial collapses. (archive picture)
Image: Keystone
The crevasse above Chippis at the beginning of March. (archive picture)
Image: Keystone
View of the demolished bridge over the Navizence in Chippis.
Image: Keystone
The demolished bridge in Chippis was built in 1888.
Image: Keystone
The worst-case scenario is a landslide of the entire mass. However, experts are currently expecting several smaller partial collapses. (archive picture)
Image: Keystone
The crevasse above Chippis at the beginning of March. (archive picture)
Image: Keystone
The more than 250-metre-long "Fios" crevasse in the Val d'Anniviers has forced the authorities in the Valais municipality of Chippis to take drastic measures: For safety reasons, a bridge dating back to 1880 was demolished on Thursday.
08.05.2026, 15:39
08.05.2026, 15:42
SDA
The municipality of Chippis confirmed this to the Keystone-SDA news agency on Friday. The demolition took around half an hour. The destruction of the so-called cemetery bridge is intended to prevent debris from accumulating and the Navizence overflowing its banks in the event of a rockslide.
The Bord district with around 50 inhabitants would be particularly at risk. "Even though the structure was under protection, we decided to demolish it for safety reasons," said Olivier Perruchoud, president of the municipality, at a public information event at the beginning of March. In addition, the embankments are to be raised and reinforced by the end of May in order to limit the risk of flooding.
In addition to dismantling the bridge, sewers, power lines, fiber optic cables and other infrastructure also had to be relocated. The cost of the work amounts to CHF 1.8 million. The canton of Valais is covering around 85% of the costs, with the rest being borne by the municipality of Chippis.
New bridge in two years
To ensure that the Bord district remains accessible, a temporary ramp has been built on the right-hand side of the river. A new bridge is to be built in around two years' time. It must also be able to carry heavy trucks in the future.
According to geologists, the unstable rock mass above Grimentz comprises around one million cubic meters. In addition to the main fissure, several other cracks have been discovered. The area has been under constant surveillance since October 2025.
The geologists attribute the instability to the floods of 2018 and 2024. The riverbed that supported the slope was severely undermined. Since then, the earth mass has been slowly moving downhill. The resulting fissure is up to one meter wide.
The worst-case scenario is for the entire mass to slide away. However, experts are currently expecting several smaller partial collapses.
