Gotthard Tunnel traffic climbs to 20km as summer holiday travel begins

School holidays in Switzerland are now in full swing, and many families are setting out on road trips to enjoy a summer break. Unfortunately for drivers travelling southbound, traffic at the Gotthard Tunnel reached 20 kilometres (km) over the weekend.

Gotthard waiting times hit over 3 hours

On Saturday, July 18, waiting times for drivers travelling south through the Gotthard Tunnel reached the highest levels yet so far in 2026. Traffic was backed up along the motorway for 20km at the Gotthard North Portal. Waiting times were around three hours, reports Watson.

By 9pm on Saturday, queues had reduced to around 5km with a waiting time of roughly 50 minutes. On Sunday, traffic at the Gotthard Tunnel was still longer than usual, around 14km, but not as bad as on the previous day.

The Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) provides a live traffic update on their website, as well as a guide on which weekends in July and August are expected to be the busiest on the roads.

Police advise against getting out of cars

To alleviate the bottleneck, the TCS advised drivers heading south to completely avoid the area if possible. The A13 San Bernardino Tunnel or the A9 via the Simplon and Great St. Bernard Passes were recommended as the best Gotthard alternative routes.

Several drivers stuck in traffic at the Gotthard Tunnel even decided to get out of their cars to stretch and wait on the motorway, according to 20 Minuten. Swiss police strongly advise against doing so. It can, in fact, result in a fine as Swiss law prohibits people “enter[ing] the roadway on motorways and expressways”, except in the case of an emergency. 

"Pedestrians can pose a significant danger to approaching emergency vehicles when forming the emergency lane and can also put themselves in grave danger,” commented Hubert Lussmann from the Uri cantonal police.

Residents protest transit traffic in Uri

While avoiding the Gotthard Tunnel may save drivers time, not everyone agrees with the practice. On Saturday, over 60 residents in canton Uri protested against holiday-goers diverting through Swiss towns. Protesters in Amsteg walked back and forth over a pedestrian crossing to disrupt traffic. Demonstrators called for a temporary ban on traffic passing through, reports 20 Minuten.

Noise, exhaust fumes from cars and traffic in villages cause a nuisance to residents. “We live here. It’s about our everyday lives, our peace and quiet, our safety and our quality of life. More and more often, convoys of cars drive through our villages, with noise, exhaust fumes and dirt,” commented one demonstrator.