The Gotthard tunnel has again become a bottleneck for travelers returning from the Easter holidays. Corks formed for more than ten kilometers on Monday afternoon in front of the south gate. The wait was long also heading south.
In Ticino, the traffic jam between Faido and the Gotthard stretched for more than ten kilometers in the afternoon, reaching 12 km at 4.30 p.m., the TCS said. Passenger vehicles returning from Easter holidays heading north had already been blocked in the morning. The traffic peak should be reached by the evening, according to Viasuisse.
More surprisingly, according to Viasuisse, traffic jams also formed in the morning in the opposite direction, in the direction of the south, also for several kilometres. The waiting time sometimes exceeded an hour.
Some of the tourists had already started the return trip on Sunday. Traffic jams had also formed in the afternoon, sometimes reaching up to seven kilometers. Viasuisse had warned of the risk of traffic jams and waiting throughout the week due to the Easter holidays.
Record traffic jam
A record traffic jam of 22 km occurred in particular on Good Friday in the direction of the south. The wait time was over three and a half hours. It was only at Easter in 1998 that the queue of blocked vehicles was longer (25 km).
Over the past two years, marked by the coronavirus pandemic, traffic jams have become rarer. In 2020, the authorities had in particular advised against traveling to the south due to the health situation in Ticino, which had resulted in no queues at Easter. The following year, traffic jams had been recorded, but to a small extent.