Motorways across Switzerland were already heaving with traffic early on the morning of 30 July, heralding what transport experts say could be the most congested weekend of the year. Real-time data compiled by the ADAC motoring club showed queues of two to six kilometres forming before 08:00 on key transit axes such as the A2 at both portals of the Gotthard road tunnel, the A1 between Zürich and Bern and the A3 around Basel. Temporary closures and night-time construction works are compounding the bottlenecks, with the Basel–Wettstein section of the A2/A3 closed nightly until 7 August. Several factors coincide this year. National Day (1 August) falls on a Saturday, encouraging long-weekend getaways, while staggered summer vacations in Swiss, German and Dutch cantons are funnelling southbound leisure traffic at the same time as returning holidaymakers head north. Freight forwarders are also rushing to clear end-of-month consignments before Monday’s public‐holiday business shutdown. For corporate mobility managers the implications are clear: road journeys through the Alps could take several hours longer than schedule, with knock-on effects on time-critical deliveries and field-service appointments. Employers are advising staff to favour rail or to reroute via the San Bernardino (A13) where possible, though that corridor often suffers secondary congestion. Remote-work arrangements and flexible start times are being re-introduced by several multinational firms based in Zürich and Zug to keep productivity intact. Swiss border officials have not reinstated systematic passport checks at the northern frontier, but customs lanes are expected to slow markedly throughout Friday afternoon and again on Sunday as returning flows peak. Drivers are being urged to use digital toll-payment apps, carry refreshments and monitor live feeds from ADAC, TCS and Viasuisse. Zurich Airport has warned passengers travelling by car to allow at least an extra 90 minutes to reach long-stay car parks. The Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (BAZG) says it will deploy additional mobile patrols to manage traffic and maintain safety at rest areas. Despite the frustrations, authorities insist there is no plan to implement temporary closures of the Gotthard tunnel, but they have not ruled out lane metering if queues exceed 15 kilometres. If precedent is any guide, delays will ease briefly in the early hours of Saturday before rebuilding mid-morning. The return wave is forecast to crest late Sunday, potentially extending well into Monday as some businesses offer a bridging day off. Travellers who can shift departures to off-peak windows—late evening or very early morning—stand the best chance of a smooth passage.
Source: ADAC traffic information
