[CH] Swiss highways and motorways

[ElviS77]

Couldn't find anything about Switzerland here, so unless I'm gravely mistaken, please update me!

[ChrisZwolle]

www.autobahnen.ch

The true Autobahn photosite about Swiss Motorways! Includes a German/French language forum too.

[lpioe]

Here is a map of the system:


Autostrasse is some kind of expressway, it's limited access and without same level crossing, but mostly only 1 lane per direction (or 2+1) and without central barrier.
As far as I know there are currently two big projects, the western bypass of Zurich, and an Autobahn/Autostrasse through the canton of Jura.
You can find pics of almost all the motorways on the site Chris mentioned.

[ChrisZwolle]

The A9 extension to Brig is also in progress, but considering the local geography, that is gonna take a lot of time.

[lpioe]

right, forgot that one.
And it's not only a bypass of Zurich, but they will also built a new motorway from that bypass in the direction of Lucerne.

[aby_since82]

And the photos???

[ChrisZwolle]

I think the Swiss better doubled the Gotthardtunnel with a second tube, than building some 50km long Railtunnel nearby it.

The current tunnel is only one tube, very unsafe considering the huge distance. During summer times, waiting times get horrible, you'll easily could wait 3 - 4 hours before you can enter the tunnel.

[wyqtor]

Well, at the very least if you own a car, you can take the route over the pass and enjoy some beautiful scenery!

[ElviS77]

[QUOTE=Chris1491;14756881]I think the Swiss better doubled the Gotthardtunnel with a second tube, than building some 50km long Railtunnel nearby it. QUOTE]

Well, the rail tunnel is happening, so not much to do about that whether one likes it or not... Still, I think they should double the Gotthard anyway, an ADT of close to 20 000 through a single tube tunnel is insane. Heard there were plans for a dualling, but not of late. Anyone who knows about this?

[lpioe]

A dualling is highly unlikely.
Switzerland wants to move the freight across the alps from the roads on the rail. So a second Gotthard tube would be counterproductive.

[ChrisH]

Also they'd have to stump up the cost for the second road tunnel out of the existing road tax. The NEAT tunnels should go at least some way to paying for themselves through shuttle tolls and train ticket prices.

[Jeroen669]

Originally Posted by Ipioe

A dualling is highly unlikely.
Switzerland wants to move the freight across the alps from the roads on the rail. So a second Gotthard tube would be counterproductive.

Jamming trucks aren't productive either...

Originally Posted by ElviS77

Well, the rail tunnel is happening, so not much to do about that whether one likes it or not... Still, I think they should double the Gotthard anyway, an ADT of close to 20 000 through a single tube tunnel is insane. Heard there were plans for a dualling, but not of late. Anyone who knows about this?

20.000 ADT is not very much. I know dutch single-lane roads who already have reached that amount of traffic. It are the safety measures that reduce the capacity extremely.

[keber]

Originally Posted by Jeroen669

20.000 ADT is not very much.

For a single tube tunnel this number is quite large. Especially because of security.

Jammed trucks will have a option to quickly traverse Switzerland in a train.

[ChrisZwolle]

With a 20.000 AADT, such a train can never be cost-effective.
In the Netherlands, a alternative freightroute is being build along the central eastern corridor (Rotterdam - Arnhem - Ruhrarea), the 2 motorways to that have over 200.000 AADT combined (parts over 350.000 combined), and the rail line turned out to be very unpopular by transportation companies.

[LtBk]

Originally Posted by Chris1491

With a 20.000 AADT, such a train can never be cost-effective.
In the Netherlands, a alternative freightroute is being build along the central eastern corridor (Rotterdam - Arnhem - Ruhrarea), the 2 motorways to that have over 200.000 AADT combined (parts over 350.000 combined), and the rail line turned out to be very unpopular by transportation companies.

Why? And out of curiosity, do you want Netherlands and rest of Europe to be auto centric/friendly as NA and SE Asia?

[ChrisZwolle]

I consider the Netherlands very car unfriendly, although there is a lot of discussion about it. Most major routes are still only 2x2 lanes, residential area's are very car-unfriendly, very little parking space (even in new neighborhoods), unlogic routing in neighborhoods etc. And last, but not least, the gas prices are skyhigh here. We pay more taxes per gallon than you pay at all for gas a gallon. Gas prices are over 7 dollars a gallon, can't call that carfriendly, like in the US.

I'm not saying gas prices should be lower or so, but at least we like to expect some decent infrastructure for the high price we pay, capacitywise.

[Jeroen669]

We don't need to be as carfriendly as america. In fact, I'm glad we're not waisting so much room on huge parking spaces and unneccesary big roads.

[Energy2003]

autobahnen.ch makes my/our work not escessary

[ElviS77]

Originally Posted by keber

For a single tube tunnel this number is quite large. Especially because of security.

Absolutely, particularly in a 16-km-tunnel, and the fact that the traffic is considerably heavier in the summer adds to the problems. The most dangerous roads in Norway are relatively high-speed 2-lane expressways with an ADT of 10-20 000.

[pmaciej7]

Pictures from Zurich and Basel

(wait a moment)

I hate this computer, i'll try tomorrow from my work