Drivers told to brace for heavy traffic jams during the Swiss school holidays

As the school holidays in Switzerland loom ever larger, the Federal Roads Office (Fedro) has warned of intense traffic jams on the country’s roads and motorways. Here’s what drivers need to look out for.

School holidays to bring major traffic jams to Switzerland

In the next few weeks, schools across the cantons will start to break up for the sports holiday, more colloquially known as ski week. Though the break is staggered to make sure the country isn’t too overloaded, Fedro predicted that the roads will still be choc-a-bloc with people heading to the mountains, the airport and neighbouring countries for some rest and relaxation.

The largest traffic jams are expected on the major motorways in and around Swiss cities and those leading up to and through the Alps. Here are the sections where traffic jams are most likely:

• A1: Härkingen - Wangen an der Aare
• A2: Belchen Tunnel - Härkingen
• A2 and A3: Lucerne
• A3: Walenstadt - Reichenburg
• A8: Interlaken - Spiez and Sarnen - Lopper junction
• A9: Vevey - Bex-Nord
• A12: Châtel-St-Denis - Vevey
• A13: Sarganserland - Rothenbrunnen
• A28: Landquart - Klosters

Heavy jams are also forecast around main roads leading up to places like Kandersteg, Gampel, Flüelen, Andermatt, Brig, and Locarno, as well as the various main roads leading to ski resorts in Canton Bern, Graubünden and Valais. Border crossings are also expected to be busy, alongside the usual suspects like the Gubrist and Gotthard tunnels.

Don't ditch the motorway for local roads, Fedro warns

Though the 10-kilometre jam stretching before you might tempt you to ditch the motorway and head for the side streets, Fedro called on all drivers to stick to their routes. They noted that this unwanted traffic through local towns and villages leads to inconvenience for residents, causes delays to spread to public transport and municipal journeys, and increases the risk of road accidents.

“It is therefore important that travellers stay on the motorway even when there is a traffic jam and do not leave it, not least out of consideration for the local population,” Fedro wrote, adding that they “remain in close contact with the authorities of the cantons particularly affected, namely the cantonal police forces, during this year's holiday season.”

Despite the advice, many towns in Switzerland have taken matters into their own hands when it comes to easing the swamp of holiday traffic. Most notably, several local councils in Graubünden have started creating fake traffic jams, to lure Google Maps into thinking that the motorway is still the best bet.