A1 Motorway Closure Triggers Multi-Kilometre Queues at Swiss–French Customs

Security authorities shut the A1 stretch between Meyrin and the Bardonnex border on 16 June as part of the G7 perimeter, unleashing an afternoon and evening of chaos for cross-border motorists. With secondary crossings such as Soral and Fossard also sealed, traffic funnelled through Perly and the few open posts, generating tailbacks of up to five kilometres. Pendular workers described journeys that normally take 20 minutes stretching beyond four hours. Swiss customs officials recorded an estimated 30,000–50,000 vehicles entering the canton without efficient exit routes, a figure that dwarfs Geneva’s normal evening peak. Local businesses reported delayed deliveries, while ride-hailing platforms imposed surge pricing of 2.5-times normal rates.



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Public-transport knock-ons quickly followed. Tram 17 to Annemasse was suspended for part of the evening, and bus 80’s cross-border leg was truncated to run only inside Swiss territory. Logistics firms rerouted trucks north via Chavannes-de-Bogis and the A41, adding 60 km to certain just-in-time supply runs. Cantonal police urged companies that can operate remotely to keep staff at home until the motorway reopens after the summit. Mobility managers should note that although G7 delegates are due to depart on 17 June, authorities caution that the full customs network may not normalise before 21 June, when temporary border installations are dismantled. For expatriates relocating to or from the Lake Geneva region this week, relocation providers recommend postponing household-goods moves and avoiding private-vehicle EU imports until after the weekend to sidestep demurrage fees and storage surcharges caused by the congestion.