The Swiss government is weighing up a plan to increase capacity on major highways by widening large sections of the road infrastructure. The idea is to make sure that all key intercity road routes have three lanes running in each direction.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch
The NZZ am Sonntag newspaper has seen a government report entitled “Long Term Perspective on National Roads”. It pinpoints crucial axis points between major cities that need upgrading to ease traffic congestion.
The triangle between Zurich, Bern and Basel is one key area that needs widening to six lanes along the entire route, the report says. Other stretches include the Geneva to Lausanne route in the French-speaking part of the country, the eastern stretch between Winterthur and St Gallen, and in the south, Bellinzona to Chiasso on the Italian border.
The report also looks into building new highway routes. For example, the government is considering developing the motorways around Geneva, Lausanne and Basel into a ‘ringroad system’. It believes that completely new motorway sections are necessary between the capital Bern and Lucerne, in central Switzerland, that bypasses Zurich altogether.
Upgrading Switzerland’s road network is not a new idea, but the report adds details. Last year, the government said it would add an extra CHF1.8 billion to its plan to extend motorways and upgrade roads in towns. This would bring spending to CHF16 billion ($16.5 billion) over the next ten years.
Switzerland has a motorway network of about 1,800 kilometres (1,120 miles), including tunnels and bridges across the country.
The government estimates that about 20% of the motorways will be regularly congested by 2040 including daily traffic jams of up to four hours if no measures are taken.
More
More
Traffic jams cost Swiss more than just time
This content was published on
Various costs related to traffic jams totalled CHF1.9 billion in 2015, up 7% from 2010, according to the Swiss Office for Spatial Development.
Swiss justice minister hopes EU reform will reduce irregular migration
This content was published on
The European Union’s (EU) New Pact on Migration and Asylum aims to curb irregular migration within Schengen, Justice Minister Beat Jans said on Tuesday.
Swiss electricity supply outlook positive despite uncertainties
This content was published on
Thanks to well-filled gas stores in Europe and increased availability of French nuclear power, the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission is optimistic.
Finance minister wants Swiss banks to hold more equity
This content was published on
Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has repeated calls for banks and their holdings in subsidiaries abroad to hold more equity.
Telecoms sector kept Swiss competitions regulator busy in 2023
This content was published on
Last year, the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) conducted 27 investigations and initiated 17 preliminary investigations.
This content was published on
Although Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) achieved higher revenue at the start of the year, it suffered a dip in profits.
40,000 signatures against animal testing in Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland should do away with “restrictive” animal testing and should become a model for innovative, effective, and pain-free scientific research.
More than 45,000 signatures in favour of federal funding for UNRWA
This content was published on
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives (FAC) is expected to decide on the funding of the UNRWA at the beginning of the week.
This content was published on
At the end of January 2024, 6,881 men and women were behind bars in Switzerland. Almost 95% of all places were occupied, the highest number since 2014.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Multi-billion investment planned in Swiss roads
This content was published on
The government wants to spend CHF16 billion ($16.5 billion) for projects to extend Switzerland’s motorways network roads in urban areas.
This content was published on
Final results show the initiative was rejected by nearly 70% of voters. Finance Minister Ueli Maurer said he was pleased that he was not faced with an enforced change to the overall federal budget. He pointed out that alternative road financing measures were currently being debated in parliament. “We can now get on with dealing…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.