Storms and traffic - Traffic on the A13 Alpine highway in Switzerland is flowing again
Two weeks after a significant portion of the A13 Autobahn in Switzerland was destroyed by storms, traffic has resumed. Starting at 5:00 am on Friday morning, cars and trucks could once again travel single-file on the A13 along the San Bernardino Route in the Canton of Graubünden. The A13 is an important connection for tourists traveling from Germany towards Italy. The route over the Simplonpass, which was closed due to landslides, will also reopen today.
Traffic will now be directed one-lane on a roughly one-and-a-half kilometer stretch, according to Jürg Roethlisberger, Director of the Swiss Federal Roads Office (Astra), in Swiss Radio SRF. A speed limit of 80 kilometers per hour applies on this section.
Autobahn section carried away by storm
During storms on June 21, a roughly 200-meter long section of the A13 near Lostallo in the Misox Valley was partially submerged and carried away. The Swiss Federal Roads Office initially planned to complete the restoration by July 10. They managed to finish the repairs five days earlier than planned, in part due to stable weather conditions and continuous work, day and night.
Why the A13 is important
The route is crucial to facilitate holiday traffic through the Alps with minimal major traffic jams. On another route, through the Gotthard Road Tunnel, traffic jams of several kilometers often form during holiday seasons and weekends. The San Bernardino Route is considered an alternative. An average of 12,000 vehicles traveled on this route daily in July 2023.
The remaining work to restore the A13 to two lanes is expected to progress faster than initially planned according to the latest plans. Initially, work was scheduled to last until the end of the year. The overall reconstruction is predicted to last until fall, the Astra announced.
- Despite the successful early completion of repairs, the A13 in Switzerland, a popular route for tourists traveling from Germany towards Italy, experienced heavy traffic once again due to the reopening, creating potential delays and congestion.
- Warnings were issued by Swiss authorities in the Grisons region, adjacent to Italy, urging drivers to stay alert and follow traffic regulations closely, as the Alps can be particularly treacherous during post-storm conditions, increasing the risk of accidents.
- In neighboring Germany, officials were on high alert for potential influxes of displaced travelers seeking alternative routes to Italy via Switzerland following the disaster on the A13, with additional resources set aside for emergency evacuation and disaster relief efforts if necessary.
- To mitigate the potential impact on traffic flow and avoid compounding the situation in Switzerland, Italian authorities considered implementing temporary border control measures, as the border between Italy and Switzerland saw high traffic volumes due to the detour caused by the closure of the A13.
- While the A13 was primarily affected by the storm in Switzerland, similar weather scenarios were closely monitored in neighboring countries like Austria and Italy, where previous disasters had left long-term consequences on critical infrastructure and transportation networks, leading to calls for improved emergency response plans and climate adaptation measures.
