Switzerland’s Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) issued an advisory on 12 May predicting severe traffic jams on key north-south transit routes during the upcoming Ascension (14–17 May) and Pentecost (22–25 May) long weekends, as well as Corpus Christi in early June. Bottlenecks are expected at the Gotthard and San Bernardino corridors and at major border crossings with France, Germany and Italy. The notice is particularly relevant for multinational companies moving staff or goods between Swiss headquarters and EU sites. ASTRA singled out the A2 Chiasso–Brogeda (Italy) and A9 Vallorbe (France) crossings, where waiting times could exceed two hours at peak periods. Rail freight will also be affected: the Simplon car-train service will run on a reduced two-hour frequency because of tunnel works, while extra car-shuttle trains will operate through the Lötschberg to ease congestion. ASTRA recommends that travellers heading to Milan, Munich or the Côte d’Azur depart before 6 a.m. or after 8 p.m., use alternative alpine passes if open, or switch to rail. Employers running shuttle buses for cross-border commuters should build in additional buffer time and monitor real-time traffic feeds. Logistics teams are urged to reroute time-critical consignments via the Brenner or via French motorways where feasible. For HR and mobility managers, the alert coincides with Switzerland’s gradual roll-out of the EU Entry/Exit System at land borders, meaning third-country nationals could face additional processing delays. Employees who hold non-EU passports should carry proof of residence and allow extra time when crossing. Detailed road-works schedules for the Kerenzerberg and Simplon tunnels are available on dedicated project portals; ASTRA will post live updates on the TCS Swiss Passes dashboard throughout the holiday periods.
Source: The Local Switzerland
