Swiss alpine passes to close for exclusive supercar event this June

Two popular mountain driving passes in Switzerland, Oberalp and Furka, are set to temporarily close again for an exclusive luxury car event taking place this June.

Supercar Owners Circle to take over Furka and Oberalp passes

Switzerland is well known among driving enthusiasts for offering plenty of mountain passes with twists, turns and incredible views. So much so that the Oberalp and Furka passes will be taken over by a driving event from June 26 to 28. Canton Uri has officially approved the closures.

The event, run by the Supercar Owners Circle (SOC) and the magazine Classic Driver, is focused on classic cars and supercars, according to 20 Minuten. Tickets start at a hefty 10.219 Swiss francs and give driving enthusiasts unique and uninterrupted access to the two well-known mountain passes. Based on previous year’s events, the mountain passes will likely only be closed for a couple of hours to minimise disruption to traffic.

The Oberalp pass connects Andermatt with Disentis/Sedrun in Graubünden. The Furka pass runs from Uri to Valais and is particularly famous for the abandoned Hotel Belvédère and James Bond filming locations. 

Why Canton Uri approved the exclusive road closures

The canton of Uri has been asked by Blick why it chose to close the passes for such an exclusive event. Ultimately, while there may be a “conflict of interest” with other road users, there is also a “carefully considered and coordinated permitting process” in place between the police, building authorities, local authorities and tourism board. 

Tourism director of Andermatt-Urserntal Thomas Christen believes that “in a developing tourism destination like Andermatt, the SOC event has a tangible and visible significance for car enthusiasts and photographers from around the world, and it also provides important financial value for the hotel industry during the off-season.”