Severe storms and traffic chaos These Swiss passes and roads are currently closed
Severe storms have led to traffic chaos in Switzerland: Several major Alpine passes and roads are closed due to landslides and flooding, while rail traffic in western Switzerland is also severely affected.
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- The recent storms in Switzerland have led to severe traffic disruptions, with several passes, including the Nufenen Pass and Simplon Pass, closed.
- Roads such as the A9 near Sierre are also flooded and impassable, causing some disruption.
- Rail traffic in western Switzerland is also affected, with the Lausanne-Brig line expected to be disrupted until Tuesday morning.
- Clean-up operations are underway, but it remains unclear when the affected lines will be open to traffic again.
The recent storms have hit Switzerland hard and caused major disruption to traffic. Numerous mountain passes and roads are impassable due to flooding and landslides, causing considerable disruption to road and rail traffic.
The Nufenen Pass, which connects the Upper Valais with the Bedretto Valley in Ticino, has been closed since Saturday afternoon due to a landslide.
Other affected passes are the Furka Pass, Grimsel Pass, San Bernardino Pass and Simplon Pass.
Special pictures were taken on Saturday evening on the Simplon Pass, where a debris flow buried the road. Fortunately, no one was injured.
According to the Federal Roads Office (Astra), the stretch from Brig to the Barralhaus at the top of the pass is passable, but the section from the Barralhaus to Simplon Dorf is closed.
Floods cause closed roads
In addition to the passes, many roads are also impassable, including the A9 near Sierre in the canton of Valais.
Some of the water on the roadway had drained away on its own, while others had been pumped out. No major damage was reported. The maintenance service had to clear away mud and clean the roadways before the reopening. Signalization and crash barriers were also checked.
The A9 highway in central Valais, which was flooded by the Rhone on Sunday night, was reopened to traffic on Monday afternoon.
The municipality of Chippis near Sierre has been flooded by the Rhone.
Image: KEYSTONE
In Sierre/Siders, the Rhone burst its banks on June 30.
Image: KEYSTONE
The A9 highway is under water on June 30.
Image: keystone-sda.ch
The A9 highway in Valais is closed until further notice.
Image: KEYSTONE
The storm hit Saas Grund particularly hard. Mud and debris rolled through the middle of the village. In the morning, the police found a man who had been reported missing dead.
Image: keystone-sda.ch
The Saas-Grund road is closed. The Saas Valley can no longer be reached by land on June 30.
Image: keystone-sda.ch
In the upper Maggia Valley in Ticino, enormous rainfall has caused massive damage and the bridge in Veslotto has collapsed. Val Bavona is no longer accessible by road.
Image: KEYSTONE
After a landslide in Fontana, rescue workers recovered three dead bodies on the afternoon of June 30. More people are missing.
Image: KEYSTONE
The municipality of Chippis near Sierre has been flooded by the Rhone.
Image: KEYSTONE
In Sierre/Siders, the Rhone burst its banks on June 30.
Image: KEYSTONE
The A9 highway is under water on June 30.
Image: keystone-sda.ch
The A9 highway in Valais is closed until further notice.
Image: KEYSTONE
The storm hit Saas Grund particularly hard. Mud and debris rolled through the middle of the village. In the morning, the police found a man who had been reported missing dead.
Image: keystone-sda.ch
The Saas-Grund road is closed. The Saas Valley can no longer be reached by land on June 30.
Image: keystone-sda.ch
In the upper Maggia Valley in Ticino, enormous rainfall has caused massive damage and the bridge in Veslotto has collapsed. Val Bavona is no longer accessible by road.
Image: KEYSTONE
After a landslide in Fontana, rescue workers recovered three dead bodies on the afternoon of June 30. More people are missing.
Image: KEYSTONE
According to local resident Gabriele Patuto (49), the flooded sections between Sierre and Sion are more like a river: "The roadway has turned into a second Rhone, so no car can drive through it any more."
The stretch between Siders-Ost and Sitten-West is also currently impassable due to flooding.
Restrictions on rail traffic
Not only road traffic is affected, but also rail traffic in western Switzerland is suffering from the heavy rainfall. The Lausanne-Brig railroad line is expected to remain closed between Leuk and Gampel-Steg until Tuesday morning.
The effects of the storms are far-reaching and affect numerous road users. It remains to be seen how quickly the clean-up work will progress and the affected routes can be reopened.
