Switzerland: Gotthard road tunnel closes for four consecutive nights, 28 September to 1 October

Anyone crossing Switzerland via the Gotthard axis, the most direct road link between central Europe and Italy, needs to plan around four nights of full closure next week.

The dates to mark

ASTRA/OFROU, the federal roads authority, is closing the A2 road tunnel for four consecutive nights — Monday to Thursday, 28, 29 and 30 September and 1 October — always from 20:00 to 05:00 the following morning. No closure over the weekend: this is a pattern already repeated through September, in four-night blocks Monday to Friday followed by a free weekend.

What changes for drivers

Goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are stopped on both sides of the tunnel from 19:30, half an hour before the closure to light vehicles. The diversion is the Gotthard Pass (Gotthard-Passstrasse), the mountain road running over the tunnel — no weight or height restriction, but with tight bends and already close to the time of year when snow starts affecting the crossing (the pass usually closes around mid-October).

Why it matters for those leaving the Iberian Peninsula

The Gotthard corridor is the shortest route between the Iberian Peninsula and northern Italy without going through France. Anyone planning to cross Switzerland on these nights — 28, 29 and 30 September or 1 October, between 20:00 and 05:00 — should either time the crossing before 19:30 or after 05:00, or plan for the mountain-pass diversion and the extra time it takes.

The Switzerland driving bans page has been updated with this point.