[CH] Swiss highways and motorways

[Coccodrillo]

The projects to fill the gap in the A13 between Bellinzona and Locarno are not clear, however it seems that it will be partially an upgrade of the existing road and partially a new road in tunnels, made of two tubes with one traffic lane and one emergency lane each.

https://maps.google.ch/maps?saddr=In...sz=16&t=h&z=13

[g.spinoza]

Originally Posted by Coccodrillo

Tolls may be a way to finance new road projects, like the second road tunnel and the lake crossing of Geneva.

What do you mean by "lake crossing of Geneva"?

[Coccodrillo]

A bridge or a tunnel linking the two shores of Lake Léman (Lake Geneva), roughly linking the Swiss A1a and the French A411 (there are several options). It is planned to cost at least 3.5 billions CHF, so it's not for tomorrow.

[g.spinoza]

Wow... didn't know they were even remotely thinking about it.

[Suburbanist]

Do the Swiss and French have plans to link Martigny (A9) and Chamonix (A40) with some 1+1 expressway or something?

[ChrisZwolle]

Like the Austrians "suffer" from the high Swiss truck tolls and bureaucratic hassle, the Swiss "suffer" from the high truck tolls at the Mont Blanc Tunnel. The Swiss A9 + Simplon Pass is therefore used by trucks wishing to avoid the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Although the total truck volume across the Simplon Pass is minimal, I don't think the Swiss want to cater to it.

[Coccodrillo]

Exactly.

Number of trucks in 2008 (before the crisis):
Ventimiglia 1.390.000
Fréjus 828.000
Mont Blanc 588.000
G.S.Bernard 57.000
Simplon 82.000
Gotthard 973.000
San Bernardino 163.000
Brenner 2.102.000 (2009: 1.766.000)
Tauern 1.001.000
Schoberpass 4.422.000
Semmering 487.000
Tarvisio 1.241.000

[Suburbanist]

This is Grimselpass in an extraordinary good weather day, 3 weeks ago

Climbing from Oberalp


Glacier on the background. Perfect weather.


Summit




Rest area at the summit


Stunning views


Small roadside church

[Verso]

Once I lit a candle for someone there.

[Suburbanist]

A very high causeway over a dam that leads to the Hospiz, seen in front. Hotels and other facilities around Alpine road passes are usually faltering because they are no longer close to active glaciers and people just don't travel more to roadside hotels when they can get the real snow thing in summer mountain destinations higher up, reachable by cable car or else. But this is not the case: the hotel is spotless, expensive and the restaurant (where we stopped to eat breakfast) if a very good one.




Looking the same causeway, from the cliff behing the Hospiz


You can here see the uncovered road on the front and an old covered passageway (2,8m narrow) with wooden planks. As there is less snow accumulation these days and the Furka base tunnel reduced the importance of the road pass, I don't think they use the covered passageway anymore, although it appears to be functional in case avalanche risks determine the closure of the main road.


Now we're going down. I'm appalled by how the Swiss authorities leave the road (one of the best roads across 2000m+ mountain passes in Europe, and I've driven through many of them) without any guard-rail or more enhanced protection


Tunnel with roadworks, descending into the valley


On the valley floor now, near Innerkirchen

[Coccodrillo]

Nice pics

There is a road project going on nearby. However it will be opened only to KWO vehicles (the local hydropower company).

See more here: http://www.tunnel-online.info/en/art...l_1390085.html

[Verso]

Is that building a hotel or a hospice?

[Suburbanist]

Originally Posted by Verso

Is that building a hotel or a hospice?

Nowadays and probably for several decades, a hotel.

[Coccodrillo]

Yesterday there were around 8 km queue southbound at the Swiss-Italian border on A2 - more or less the same than before the Tunnel, so even if it were 2x2 probably the queue at the border would have been longer.

[Verso]

That doesn't matter, if you only go to Lugano.

[Sunfuns]

Perhaps once the base tunnel is finished more people will be taking a train and there will be less traffic jams, but then again maybe it will result in more people going in that direction. Besides trains are unlikely to ever be a preferred option for going to seaside holiday destinations...

[ChrisZwolle]

The difference is that at the border traffic spreads from two lanes into various gates, whereas traffic at the Gotthard tunnel funnels down to a single lane. So there is really no comparison.

[Coccodrillo]

Originally Posted by Verso

That doesn't matter, if you only go to Lugano.

In that case I use pass (usually only 30' slower compared to an empty tunnel - so two hours faster than the tunnel on peak days).

Originally Posted by ChrisZwolle

The difference is that at the border traffic spreads from two lanes into various gates, whereas traffic at the Gotthard tunnel funnels down to a single lane. So there is really no comparison.

Most of times "various" means "one", very rarely "two", beside the lane for empty trucks and buses (always open). I have never seen more than two lanes opened at this border crossing (and, remember, usually it's only one even on peak days). I have never used this motorway border crossing on peak days, however.

[Suburbanist]

Originally Posted by Coccodrillo

In that case I use pass (usually only 30' slower compared to an empty tunnel - so two hours faster than the tunnel on peak days).

That doesn't work for winter congested days around Christmas, for instance.

[Sunfuns]

Why would you want to go to Lugano during Christmas? But if you need to then taking a train is a better option.