Gotthard: 3-hour system for greater safety
Bern, 07.02.2002 - HGV capacity on the Gotthard route was increased to 3 300 lorries per day by the end of January, a figure sufficient to keep traffic under control and flowing. The traffic regulation system will now be further improved with effect from Monday through the introduction of 3-hour sessions for the alternating one-way system. The main reason for this change is the safety aspect. In addition, the average waiting time will be reduced to around 50 minutes. The shorter "green phases" during the morning hours will be retained for the benefit of domestic traffic.
The traffic regulation system on the Gotthard is to receive further fine-tuning, now that, by the end of January, 3 300 lorries per day are passing through the road tunnel, following successive increases in capacity over the past three weeks and the switch from 2-hour to 4-hour sessions. The Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) and the cantons concerned will be introducing further optimization measures, with HGV traffic switching to 3-hour sessions starting from next Monday and with the shorter "green phases" in the morning being retained for the benefit of domestic traffic. Thus, from 05:00, as previously, one block of HGVs from the Ticino and one from German-speaking Switzerland will be able to pass through the Gotthard road tunnel for periods of one and half hours and two hours respectively. Then, from 08:00, lorries will use the tunnel in 3-hour sessions.
Higher priority for safety
The main reason for introducing the shorter 3-hour sessions is the safety aspect. The longer 4-hour green phases had the advantage of achieving higher capacity, with the result that HGV traffic could be kept flowing despite such restrictions as one-way traffic and minimum distances between vehicles. So, by the end of January, 3 300 HGVs were passing through the St-Gotthard road tunnel and a further 1 000 through the San Bernardino. At the same time, however, the longer intervals led to problems with safety implications - such as more frequent breakdowns and traffic jams at the entrance or in the tunnel - especially on the northern access to the Gotthard. Thus, with safety in mind, lorries will now be sent through the Gotthard tunnel in smaller blocks.
The new measures should also serve to eliminate certain other negative effects arising from the 4-hour system. For example, during the last week in January, it was necessary to bring the advance waiting areas in Stans into operation nearly every day. Moreover, in Chiasso, there were regular jams due to the arrival of heavier HGV traffic as a result of the block system. Through the change in timetable, the FEDRO has sought to take into consideration the appeals for shorter waiting times made by those representing domestic traffic users. With the new timetable, the average wait should be reduced from around 1 hour to 50 minutes.
Berne, 7 February 2002
DETEC
Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication
Press and Information Service
Publisher
Federal Roads Authority
http://www.astra.admin.ch
