Swiss holiday traffic tailback lengthened by climate protest

Jam: activists and motorists at Göschenen, central Switzerland, on Friday. © Keystone / Urs Flueeler

Activists on Friday glued themselves to a busy stretch of south-bound motorway heading to the traditional Easter holiday destinations of Ticino and Italy.

Six activists from the “Renovate Switzerland” NGO were dislodged and temporarily held by police around half an hour after starting their protest on Friday morning.

They had glued themselves to the motorway in front of the north entrance to the Gotthard tunnel, where every year huge tailbacks gather as holidaymakers flock south for Easter.

+ The Gotthard: a hub of colossal infrastructure projects

Even before the activists turned up, a 15-kilometre jam had been reported at the entrance to the tunnel. This grew another kilometre when the road was closed in both directions for an hour due to the protest.

Some confrontations between motorists and the activists were also reported before police arrived.

Renovate Switzerland’s demands include the declaration of a “climate emergency” in Switzerland and a large-scale modernisation of one million Swiss homes to make them more energy-efficient. They say this should be done by 2035.

The group, which previously blocked other major roads including the Mont Blanc Bridge in Geneva, says it will continue its protests until the government listens to its demands.

Vital north-south axis

The 17-kilometre Gotthard road tunnel, which runs from Göschenen to Airolo under the famous Gotthard pass, links the German-speaking north of Switzerland with the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino in the south.

Opened in 1980, the road caters to roughly 17,000 vehicles daily. A separate, 57-kilometre train line – unveiled in 2016 as the longest in the world – also cuts through the mountain. 

A second road tunnel, approved by Swiss voters in 2016, is expected to open in 2030 at the earliest.