A mid-day avalanche at the Rotloiwi gallery near Goppenstein in canton Valais cut the sole road into the Lötschental valley and forced BLS to halt car-shuttle services through the Lötschberg tunnel on 12 February. Police received first alerts at 11:40 a.m.; no injuries were reported, but debris up to two metres deep now blocks both lanes of the cantonal route.
The Lötschental hosts several hydro-power plants and winter-sports resorts that rely on daily commuter traffic from Bern and Brig. With the road closed and rail shuttle suspended, up to 1,500 workers and tourists face detours via the Grimsel pass—itself subject to winter closure—or overnight stays in the valley. Logistics firms report delays for just-in-time milk and bakery deliveries serving hotels in Wiler and Blatten.
Cantonal engineers will carry out controlled blasting on 13 February to stabilise overhanging snow slabs before excavation can begin. Authorities advise against non-essential travel and require chains or 4×4 for emergency vehicles granted access. The incident follows a week of heavy snowfall that pushed the regional avalanche bulletin to Level 4 (high).
![Avalanche Severs Road and Rail Links to Lötschental, Disrupting Commuter Flow]()
For mobility managers the takeaway is contingency planning for alpine worksites: ensure staff have hotel contingencies and review helicopter-transfer insurance where critical maintenance teams must reach remote plants. Employers with cross-border commuters should log the closure as a force-majeure absence under Swiss labour law.
If you have overseas staff, contractors or visitors affected by the disruption, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork for Swiss visas, work permits and travel letters, helping you adjust itineraries quickly and stay compliant with local regulations. Their Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers up-to-date requirements and fast processing options—useful when sudden events like avalanches force last-minute route changes.
Transport officials expect to reopen at least one lane for convoy traffic by 14 February, weather permitting. Full resumption of the BLS car shuttle is pencilled in for early next week once track inspections are complete.
The Lötschental hosts several hydro-power plants and winter-sports resorts that rely on daily commuter traffic from Bern and Brig. With the road closed and rail shuttle suspended, up to 1,500 workers and tourists face detours via the Grimsel pass—itself subject to winter closure—or overnight stays in the valley. Logistics firms report delays for just-in-time milk and bakery deliveries serving hotels in Wiler and Blatten.
Cantonal engineers will carry out controlled blasting on 13 February to stabilise overhanging snow slabs before excavation can begin. Authorities advise against non-essential travel and require chains or 4×4 for emergency vehicles granted access. The incident follows a week of heavy snowfall that pushed the regional avalanche bulletin to Level 4 (high).
For mobility managers the takeaway is contingency planning for alpine worksites: ensure staff have hotel contingencies and review helicopter-transfer insurance where critical maintenance teams must reach remote plants. Employers with cross-border commuters should log the closure as a force-majeure absence under Swiss labour law.
If you have overseas staff, contractors or visitors affected by the disruption, VisaHQ can streamline the paperwork for Swiss visas, work permits and travel letters, helping you adjust itineraries quickly and stay compliant with local regulations. Their Swiss portal (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) offers up-to-date requirements and fast processing options—useful when sudden events like avalanches force last-minute route changes.
Transport officials expect to reopen at least one lane for convoy traffic by 14 February, weather permitting. Full resumption of the BLS car shuttle is pencilled in for early next week once track inspections are complete.
