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Pieces of concrete fell from the roof of the Gotthard tunnel onto the road on Sunday. As an initial inspection showed, there is a 25-meter long crack running along the suspended ceiling. For safety reasons, the tunnel will remain closed until further notice. But the pipeline should be open again by the end of this week, writes the Federal Roads Office (Astra).
The closure of the tunnel on Sunday evening was followed by chaotic scenes. Photos on social media showed people standing in the middle of the tunnel arguing. Cars had to turn in the tunnel, which was impossible for larger vehicles: “Our bus couldn’t turn and we had to drive backwards all the way,” reports a Blick reader. His car had to drive backwards for more than 8 kilometers.
Another Blick reader may have prevented something worse due to a glitch. She was heading north when her car broke down at mile 10. “We were holding up traffic and everything went backwards.” That’s when she discovered that parts of the ceiling north of where she was standing had fallen. This meant that no one could drive through from their direction as the concrete began to crumble.
In the worst case there is a risk of suffocation
Because parts of the ceiling tiles have fallen down, ventilation is also said to have been disrupted. The suspended ceiling separates the driving space from the air ducts. If these become damaged or exposed, people in the tunnel risk, in the worst case, suffocation. But the safety work has already started, Astra writes in a press release. The repair work started on Tuesday evening. The plan is to demolish and replace 25 meters of the damaged suspended ceiling.
The Astra assumes that stress shifts in the mountains are responsible for the damage. These would have led to local pressure changes and put pressure on the tunnel in the affected section. As a result, a crack would have developed.
Federal Councilor Rösti said on the sidelines of a media conference: “We are in the mountain area, in nature that moves, events can take place there.” Fortunately, no people were injured. And: “We are doing everything we can to repair the damage as quickly as possible, so that the closure lasts as short as possible.” But safety comes first.
The inspection should have taken place this week
To prevent incidents in the Gotthard Tunnel as much as possible, the federal government carries out inspections several times a year. For example, the walls are cleaned, the lighting is checked and the condition of the installation is recorded. This year alone, authorities plan to close the Gotthard at least seven times for maintenance work. And the next inspection should have taken place this week.
Although inspecting a tunnel is routine, it is especially important at the Gotthard. Because: The tube, opened in 1980, has been in need of renovation for some time. That is why Swiss voters decided to build a second tube in 2016. And at a proud price of 2.14 billion francs. Its completion is scheduled for 2029 and will allow the old tube to be renovated. Both tubes must be in operation from 2032.
If one tunnel fails, travelers can still travel via the other tube. At the moment, those responsible have no choice but to direct traffic across the Alps: via the San Bernardino route, the Gotthard Pass and the Simplon Pass. Traffic bottlenecks may now occur on these routes.
Vehicle association fears bottlenecks
The Swiss Commercial Vehicle Association Astag is therefore calling on the federal government to take immediate action. This is intended to prevent bottlenecks in the supply. Because: Due to a train derailment in the Gotthard, freight transport by rail is also limited.
“With aid measures, we must now do everything we can to ensure that road and rail freight transport has sufficient capacity,” said Thierry Burkart (48), the central chairman of Astag and party chairman of the FDP. In concrete terms, he and his association advocate investigating a relaxation of the night-time driving ban in cross-Alpine traffic. So-called Gigaliners, i.e. gigantic trucks weighing up to 44 tons, should also be allowed. In addition, trucks with trailers must be allowed on the Gotthard Pass.
The association reports that the relevant suggestions have already been submitted to federal councilor Rösti. But: Even if Rösti agrees, travelers will have to plan more time – and probably avoid the Gotthard Tunnel for a week.
The situation hits Ticino particularly hard, as it is already affected by the restrictions on train traffic. The situation is threatening the economy of Ticino, says the director of the Ticino Chamber of Commerce, Luca Albertoni. He calls on the federal government and the cantons to set up a Gotthard crisis team to deal with further incidents.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
