Switzerland’s perennial Easter getaway once again snarled the A2 corridor, with traffic in front of the Gotthard road-tunnel peaking at 21 kilometres on the afternoon of 6 April and still stretching a kilometre in the small hours of 7 April. Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) reported individual delays of up to 3 hours 30 minutes, prompting emergency congestion-management measures by Uri cantonal police.
![Easter Exodus: 21-Kilometre Gotthard Tailback Highlights Switzerland–Italy Bottleneck]()
For international motorists heading into Switzerland, having the correct paperwork can be as critical as choosing the right route. VisaHQ’s easy-to-use platform (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) streamlines the process of obtaining Swiss visas and transit documents, letting travellers focus on avoiding the Gotthard queues rather than embassy appointments.
By 04:00 on 7 April the jam had “practically dissolved,” yet authorities warn that return traffic on Easter Monday could recreate the gridlock. The Gotthard tunnel is a critical artery for cross-border commerce—linking Basel and Zurich with Milan—and chronic Easter congestion is increasingly viewed as an infrastructure risk. Trucking firms transporting fresh produce and express parcels faced cascading delays, while rail operator SBB said some fully booked EuroCity services may enforce boarding caps through the Gotthard Base Tunnel to manage crowding. Uri’s five-point “Staumanagement” plan—metering ramp access, patrolling cut-through village roads and publishing live wait-times—was largely effective in keeping secondary routes open, yet local chambers of commerce say small retailers still suffered from diverted flows. Business-travel managers are advising staff to reroute via the San Bernardino (A13) or Lötschberg car-train, or to switch to rail for time-critical trips. Longer term, pressure is likely to intensify calls for the second Gotthard road-tunnel tube, scheduled to open in 2032, and for dynamic tolling during peak leisure weeks—an idea previously resisted on equity grounds but now back on the political agenda as climate targets push modal shift. For 2026’s summer peak, planners are already modelling staggered holiday dates across cantons to flatten demand, but logistics experts caution that any growth in Italian tourist demand post-Expo 2026 will tighten the squeeze unless cross-Alpine capacity is expanded.
For international motorists heading into Switzerland, having the correct paperwork can be as critical as choosing the right route. VisaHQ’s easy-to-use platform (https://www.visahq.com/switzerland/) streamlines the process of obtaining Swiss visas and transit documents, letting travellers focus on avoiding the Gotthard queues rather than embassy appointments.
By 04:00 on 7 April the jam had “practically dissolved,” yet authorities warn that return traffic on Easter Monday could recreate the gridlock. The Gotthard tunnel is a critical artery for cross-border commerce—linking Basel and Zurich with Milan—and chronic Easter congestion is increasingly viewed as an infrastructure risk. Trucking firms transporting fresh produce and express parcels faced cascading delays, while rail operator SBB said some fully booked EuroCity services may enforce boarding caps through the Gotthard Base Tunnel to manage crowding. Uri’s five-point “Staumanagement” plan—metering ramp access, patrolling cut-through village roads and publishing live wait-times—was largely effective in keeping secondary routes open, yet local chambers of commerce say small retailers still suffered from diverted flows. Business-travel managers are advising staff to reroute via the San Bernardino (A13) or Lötschberg car-train, or to switch to rail for time-critical trips. Longer term, pressure is likely to intensify calls for the second Gotthard road-tunnel tube, scheduled to open in 2032, and for dynamic tolling during peak leisure weeks—an idea previously resisted on equity grounds but now back on the political agenda as climate targets push modal shift. For 2026’s summer peak, planners are already modelling staggered holiday dates across cantons to flatten demand, but logistics experts caution that any growth in Italian tourist demand post-Expo 2026 will tighten the squeeze unless cross-Alpine capacity is expanded.
