- The Federal Roads Office (Astra) expects the San Bernardino route to open earlier than planned.
- The A13 motorway is expected to be open to single-lane traffic again as early as July 5.
- A 120-metre-long crack in the ground has formed at the Mesocco South motorway junction.
The reconstruction of the washed-out section of the motorway between Lostallo and Mesocco GR is progressing very well, according to the Astra. Therefore, an earlier partial opening is expected, as early as July 5. The original plan was to complete the section by July 10.
The road that was washed away by the flood is currently being rebuilt. Those responsible want to start laying the surface next week.
Ground crack as an obstacle
However, the 120-meter-long crack in the ground that has now been discovered at the Mesocco South feeder road could get in the way of construction work, as the Astra writes. If further earth material were to be released through the crack, work would have to be stopped for safety reasons.
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Cantonal Police of Graubünden
The crack in the ground is currently being investigated by external experts. As of Friday afternoon, there was no information available about how the crack came about or whether it could spread to the motorway, according to the Graubünden Civil Engineering Office.
Longer traffic jams on alternative routes
The repairs to the San Bernardino motorway are likely to lead to even longer than usual traffic jams heading south during the summer holidays. The Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) recommends other passes in Graubünden, the Lötschberg or the Great St. Bernard, as alternatives. However, construction work will be necessary on the Simplon route due to mudslides.
No transit traffic on cantonal roads
Open box
Box zuklappen
Transit traffic is not allowed to use the cantonal road until the A13 is opened, according to the Graubünden cantonal police and the cantonal civil engineering office. It is crucial to keep as much traffic as possible out of the area so that the road is available for construction machinery, trucks and the local population.
Tourist traffic is now permitted on the cantonal road: Anyone who can prove a reservation in Misox for a destination between San Bernardino and Grono can drive on it, as the Civil Engineering Office further writes.
The focus of the clearance work is on the numerous debris collectors that are currently still blocked. It is an “indispensable safety measure” to empty these so that the water can drain away in the event of further heavy rainfall.
Astra expects that the closure of the A13 will lead to increased traffic, particularly on the A2 at the Gotthard. On Thursday, 14 percent more vehicles were counted there than a year ago, it said. At the Great St. Bernard Pass, traffic volume was 10 percent higher.
But even after the partial opening next week, the A13 will not have the usual capacity. The reasons are the reduced speed and the traffic routing in oncoming traffic.
