Switzerland faces 20-km traffic jam at Gotthard as Germany warns of bridge closures
Story Timeline
8 days · 3 summary articles
Switzerland faces 20-km traffic jam at Gotthard as Germany warns of bridge closures
Danish railways replace trains with buses on Ringsted-Fredericia route until Sunday
Berlin Ringbahn bridge fully closes this weekend for new superstructure installation
Continuation
Traffic came to a standstill near the Gotthard North Portal in Switzerland on Saturday, with a 20-kilometer backup causing wait times of up to three hours for travelers heading south. The Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) recommended alternative routes via the A13 through the San Bernardino Tunnel, the A9 via Simplon or Grand St. Bernard, and the Lötschberg car transport service. The congestion is expected to worsen during the summer holidays, particularly on weekends and public holidays, with many travelers from Germany and the Netherlands passing through Switzerland.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder warned of potential unexpected closures of bridges due to their deteriorating condition. Schnieder noted that around 8,000 bridges need to be repaired or rebuilt by 2032, with half of them targeted by 2032. The minister's comments come after the recent closure of a heavily trafficked highway bridge over the Rhine in Bonn due to newly discovered damage, including cracks in the concrete and corrosion in the reinforcement steel. The bridge, part of the A565 highway, is a crucial east-west connection for the region and is set to be demolished and rebuilt.
Schnieder emphasized that bridges are being monitored more closely to prevent sudden failures. "The bridges are a focus of my ministry and the Autobahn GmbH because they are so important to us and because the failure of a bridge has dramatic consequences for the affected regions," he said. Last year, the Ringbahnbrücke in Berlin was closed abruptly due to spreading cracks in the load-bearing structure, causing weeks of traffic chaos in the surrounding district. That bridge is also being rebuilt and is expected to be completed by 2027.
In other infrastructure news, the A40 highway in the Ruhr area is facing another week-long closure, and the A8/A81 near Stuttgart was temporarily closed due to a wind turbine transport.
In northern Germany, extensive construction work is causing significant disruptions to rail travel. From mid-July to the end of August, travelers can expect cancellations, diversions, and replacement services on long-distance, regional, and S-Bahn routes, particularly around the Hamburg rail hub and on the Hamburg-Kiel route. The popular commuter route between Hamburg and Kiel will see only two daily ICE train pairs instead of the usual eight from July 18 to August 15. Additionally, the ICE stop in Neumünster will be largely canceled, and no long-distance trains will stop at Hamburg-Altona and Hamburg Dammtor stations during the construction period.
Specific details include:
In Austria, rail travelers on the Brenner route are facing significant disruptions starting Saturday. Construction work on the Italian side has led to the cancellation of all long-distance trains between Innsbruck and Bozen until August 1. Bus replacement services have been set up. The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) is also carrying out urgent maintenance work, including repairing frost damage in the Mühltal Tunnel. This work will affect regional services, with trains only running as far as Gries am Brenner in the first phase and bus replacements operating between Steinach and Brenner.
Follow us for live European news
- 3
- 3
- 2
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
- 1
1 further source not geolocated
Articles
„Kann uns immer wieder passieren – Schnieder hält Sperrungen maroder Brücken jederzeit für möglich Langfristig müssten etwa 8000 Brücken saniert oder neu gebaut werden – die Hälfte davon bis 2032. Deutschlands Verkehrsminister rechnet deshalb mit weiteren unerwarteten Sperrungen und Verkehrsbehinderungen.
welt.de · about 2 hours ago
Kako učinkoviti bodo ukrepi za odvodnjavanje ljubljanskih podvozov, ki so poplavljeni ob deževju Mestna občina Ljubljana (MOL) je v podvozih pod železniškimi progami na Celovški, Drenikovi in Zaloški cesti izvedla prve ukrepe za izboljšanje prometne varnosti ob močnejših padavinah, ko te podvoze pogosto zalije voda.
rtv slovenia · about 2 hours ago
Têm de pôr mais autocarros: gratuitidade promete testar rede de transportes do Porto Só na primeira semana, houve perto de 44 mil moradores da cidade a aderir. Cascais tem autocarros municipais de graça desde 2020, mas não sabe se medida tirou carros das ruas.
publico · about 2 hours ago
Marode Brücken: Schnieder: Unerwartete Brückensperrungen wieder möglich Erneut muss eine marode Brücke in Deutschland abgerissen werden, dieses Mal in Bonn. Der Verkehrsminister kann keine Entwarnung geben.
handelsblatt · about 2 hours ago
Berlin: S-Bahn in Pankow weiter mit Verzögerungen
die zeit · about 2 hours ago
„Drumul Marmurei din Munții Poiana Ruscă intră în șantier. Regiunea părăsită de localnici îi atrage pe turiști Încep lucrările la primii kilometri din „Drumul Marmurei, o șosea montană care traversează ținutul sălbatic al Munților Poiana Ruscă, unde multe sate au fost părăsite de localnici, dar sunt tot mai căutate de turiști.
adevarul · about 2 hours ago
bis zu 3 Stunden Wartezeit – 20 Kilometer Stau vor dem Gotthard-Nordportal Zwischen Altdorf und Göschenen müssen Reisende bis zu 3 Stunden im Stau warten. Es gibt Alternativrouten.
srf.ch · about 3 hours ago
2 Stunden 50 Minuten Wartezeit – 17 Kilometer Stau vor dem Gotthard-Nordportal Zwischen Altdorf und Göschenen müssen Reisende bis zu 2 Stunden und 50 Minuten im Stau warten. Es gibt Alternativen.
srf.ch · about 3 hours ago
Ab heute kein Bahn-Fernverkehr über Brenner für zwei Wochen Wegen Bauarbeiten in Italien können Fernverkehrszügen zwischen Innsbruck und Bozen bis 1. August nicht fahren. Auch der Nahverkehr ist betroffen.
die presse · about 3 hours ago
Frequência de autocarros entre Algarve e Lisboa é nove vezes superior à do comboio É idêntico o tempo de percurso de autocarro e de comboio entre o Algarve e Lisboa, mas os transbordos em Faro e Tunes prejudicam o modo ferroviário.
publico · about 3 hours ago
La CEV rechaza la vía única entre Teruel y Sagunto y estudia alegaciones al proyecto del Ministerio La patronal valenciana reclama mantener la doble vía electrificada del Corredor Cantábrico-Mediterráneo al considerar que la propuesta de Transportes limita el desarrollo industrial, logístico y portuario de la Comunitat Valenciana.
la vanguardia · about 4 hours ago
Toget går mellom Oslo og Lillestrøm igjen Etter å ha vært stengt siden fredag på grunn av en teknisk feil er toglinjen mellom Oslo og Lillestrøm i drift igjen.
aftenposten · about 4 hours ago
Sperrung A8/A81: Windradtransport am Stuttgarter Kreuz: Strecke wieder frei
die zeit · about 4 hours ago
Práce za více než 400 milionů korun. Začala ražba štoly pro tunel Luka u Jílového u Prahy Stavbaři začali nedaleko Jílového u Prahy razit průzkumnou štolu pro budoucí tunel Luka na středočeské části dálnice D3. Ta má propojit Prahu s Českými Budějovicemi a rakouskými hranicemi. Ražba štoly má stavbařům pomoci zjistit geologické podmínky a data potřebná pro stavbu samotné dálnice.
irozhlas.cz · about 4 hours ago
Κυκλοφοριακές ρυθμίσεις στη Γραμμή 3 του Μετρό από την Κυριακή 19 Ιουλίου, ποιοι σταθμοί κλείνουν νωρίτερα
protothema · about 5 hours ago
Suomenlahti | Puolustusvoimat rajoittaa liikennettä itäisellä Suomenlahdella mahdollisten droonien takia Rajoituksella pyritään turvaamaan sivullisten turvallisuus ja viranomaisten mahdollisuudet torjua mahdollisia lennokkeja.
helsingin sanomat · about 6 hours ago
:format(jpg)/f.elconfidencial.com%2Foriginal%2Fb30%2F280%2Fe7b%2Fb30280e7b0b94ab60b458c02a2b53dd9.jpg)
Cortes de tráfico en Madrid, este domingo, por manifestaciones y la final del Mundial: horarios, calles y zonas afectadas La capital vivirá una jornada con una intensa actividad en sus principales calles, donde las movilizaciones ciudadanas y los actos vinculados al España-Argentina obligarán a reorganizar la circulación en distintos momentos del día
el confidencial · about 6 hours ago
Geduld gefragt: Bahnstrecken im Norden gesperrt: Was Reisende wissen müssen
die zeit · about 6 hours ago
Autobahn-Sperrung: Erneut einwöchige Sperrung der A40 im Ruhrgebiet
die zeit · about 7 hours ago
Ciucu, despre cele aproape 50 de șantiere din București: „S-a mai construit atât când au făcut comuniștii blocurile-dormitor Ciprian Ciucu, primarul general al Capitalei, afirmă că își asumă disconfortul creat de numărul mare de șantiere deschise în București și susține că amploarea lucrărilor de infrastructură este fără precedent după 1989.
adevarul · about 7 hours ago
Marode Brücken: Schnieder: Unerwartete Brückensperrungen wieder möglich
die zeit · about 8 hours ago
Medio año después del accidente de Adamuz, las víctimas piden que se paralice un servicio ferroviario que sigue por encima de las 1.000 incidencias y sin responsables: "Hay un miedo latente y muy real" La CIAF ya ha advertido a Adif de la ineficacia de sus sistemas para detectar quiebras en las vías una vez producidas Leer
elmundo · about 8 hours ago
Ab in den Süden – Fünf Kilometer Stau am Gotthard-Nordportal Vor dem Gotthard-Nordportal staut sich der Verkehr auf fünf Kilometern. Die Wartezeit beträgt bis zu einer Stunde.
srf.ch · about 9 hours ago
Kein Bahn-Fernverkehr über Brenner ab Samstag für zwei Wochen Italienische Bauarbeiten legen Fernzüge lahm, ÖBB leiten einzelne Verbindungen großräumig um
der standard · about 9 hours ago
Haagse vervoerder schrapt alle bussen wegens ernstig technisch mankement Het Haagse openbaarvervoerbedrijf HTM schrapt vrijdagavond al het busverkeer omdat bij meerdere bussen een "ernstig technisch mankement" is gevonden. Uit voorzorg worden alle bussen geïnspecteerd.
nu.nl · about 9 hours ago
Landleben: Ein gratis E-Lastenrad zum Leihen für alle [premium] Mit der Öffi-Anbindung an die nächste Stadt ist das ländliche Verkehrsproblem nicht gelöst – vor allem Frauen haben viele kurze Wege zu bewältigen. Ein Wiener Forschungsteam hat Lösungen für die Pilotgemeinden Ottensheim (OÖ) und St. Valentin (NÖ).
die presse · about 10 hours ago