Following the rejection of the motorway expansion referendum in November 2024, lawmakers have been looking into new ways of reducing traffic jams in Switzerland. Now, the Federal Council has thrown its weight behind a plan to open up the hard shoulder to regular traffic during the heaviest jams.
Under the plans, submitted by the Swiss People’s Party and approved by the executive last week, the government would be permitted to allow regular traffic on sections of hard shoulder, should there be a traffic jam. Though specific sections of the motorway were not listed specifically, the system would be implemented in high-traffic areas where terrain and road conditions allow.
It comes as Switzerland continues to experience record amounts of traffic jams. According to the latest data from the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO), time lost to traffic jams rose by 22 percent in 2024 compared to 2022, meaning drivers now spend a collective 48.807 hours a year stuck in gridlock. As it released the findings, the government argued that the network was at its “limits.”
Months later, Swiss citizens roundly rejected plans to expand the motorway network. This has led officials to consider policies that will reduce traffic without expanding the network.
The idea of using safety lanes as extra lanes of traffic is not new: it is already used between Morges and Écublens and Villars-Sainte-Croix and Cossonay in Canton Vaud. FEDRO wrote in a statement that alongside improving traffic flow, the number of road traffic accidents in the sections dropped by 25 percent thanks to fewer jams.
The idea has also spread across Europe: in May 2022 the European Road Administrator CEDR agreed that opening the hard shoulder up temporarily can lead to a reduction in both traffic jams and road accidents. Lawmakers also argue the idea is cheaper and takes less time than building a new lane from scratch.
However, CEDR also acknowledged that several issues remain, such as how to instruct and encourage drivers to use the extra lane, and who and how the special lanes are managed and used. In addition, if the lanes are used too much, traffic jams could worsen significantly in the long term due to induced demand.
For now, FEDRO is planning to roll out the idea to more parts of Canton Vaud, with a section of motorway between Vevey and Montreux seen as the next possible location. Parliament is due to debate the plans in the coming months.
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