Gotthard tunnel closures: dates and diversions

Planned closures of the Gotthard road tunnel take place at night. For maintenance, it is shut every year for several weeks in spring, summer and autumn, from Monday evening to Friday morning, mostly from 8 pm to 5 am. On top of that, there is a short closure window every week overnight from Wednesday to Thursday. Accidents, fires or damage, on the other hand, can close the tunnel at any time.

As of November 2026: the 2026 maintenance nights are over; the last ones were from 5 to 7 October. FEDRO and AfBN have not yet published the dates for 2027. Until then, the only planned closure is overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, 11 pm to 1 am. Below you will find the 2026 closure nights, the diversions and where the official dates are published.

Why is the Gotthard tunnel closed?

The tunnel has only one tube, carrying traffic in both directions. When work has to be done on the carriageway, there is no second tube to take the traffic. For the additional work in August 2026, the Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) stated explicitly that it could only be done with the tunnel fully closed, for safety reasons.

The closure nights are used for maintenance; the Canton of Uri cites cleaning the tunnel walls as an example. For the twelve nights in August 2026, FEDRO gave a specific reason: measuring systems monitor the stresses in the elements of the intermediate ceiling above the carriageway, and relief cuts are intended to relieve the stress on individual parts as a precaution. FEDRO aims to reduce the risk of unplanned restrictions or closures later on.

Only the second tube will change this. Once it is in service and the old tube has been refurbished, FEDRO will be able to route traffic through one tube during longer closures of the other. For progress on construction, see our page on the second Gotthard tube.

When is the tunnel closed at night in 2026 and 2027?

According to FEDRO, the tunnel is closed every year in March/April, June and September/October, usually for around 26 nights. In 2026 there were more: the closure plan of the Office for National Road Operations (AfBN), which monitors the tunnel from its operations control centre in Flüelen, lists 48 nights, twelve of them in August.

All closure nights in 2026 fall between Monday evening and Friday morning. For the August nights, FEDRO gave the reason that the tunnel should remain fully available over the busy weekends. The dates in the table give the first evening and the last morning: “7–11 September” means from Monday evening, 7 September, to Friday morning, 11 September.

The 2026 closure nights are over; the last one ended on the morning of Wednesday 7 October. Until the next series, the only scheduled closures are the short weekly ones overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, from 11 pm to 1 am. FEDRO and AfBN have not yet published the dates for 2027 (as of 2 November 2026). Going by the usual pattern, expect closure nights in March/April, June and September/October. As soon as the plan is out, you will find it here.

Lorries over 3.5 tonnes are stopped at both portals half an hour before each closure begins. If you are travelling by car in a closure week, it is best to drive through before the closure starts or wait until 5 am.

Why is the tunnel closed at 11 pm on Wednesdays?

Every week, the tunnel is closed to normal traffic overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, from 11 pm to 1 am. This window is used by abnormal loads. According to FEDRO, vehicles 4.20 to 4.30 metres high or more than 3.50 metres wide may only pass through the tunnel on this night and only during these two hours. If you reach the portal during this time, you will have to wait until 1 am or plan your journey differently.

Which diversion applies during a night closure?

While the Gotthard Pass is open, cars are diverted over the pass road wherever possible. In 2026 this was the case in June and August, and it also applied to the September/October series, which ended on 7 October 2026. The summit is at about 2,100 metres above sea level, so at night expect a mountain road rather than a motorway.

In winter, the pass is usually closed from November to May. For the closure nights in March 2026, the Canton of Uri therefore recommended the San Bernardino route (A13). Both diversions take longer: without queues, the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) reckons on 2 hours 45 minutes from Zurich to Chiasso through the tunnel, and 3 hours 15 minutes via either the Gotthard Pass or the San Bernardino.

For the August nights, FEDRO had announced that it would interrupt the work at short notice if traffic was unexpectedly heavy and open the tunnel if necessary. Do not count on it. Which alternative route pays off, and when, is covered on our Avoiding the Gotthard page.

What happens after an accident in the tunnel?

Accidents, fires and damage close the tunnel without warning. How long it stays closed depends on the incident. After a collision involving three vehicles on 26 June 2026, it was closed for about two hours, according to the Uri cantonal police. After a lorry fire on 4 July 2025, the closure lasted more than five and a half hours because of the recovery and clean-up work.

In September 2023, the tunnel stayed closed for about five days, from Sunday afternoon, 10 September, to Friday evening, 15 September, at 8 pm. According to FEDRO, stress redistribution in the rock had damaged the intermediate ceiling.

If you get caught in a queue, break down or encounter a fire in the tunnel yourself, follow AfBN’s rules:

In a queue in the tunnel: switch on your hazard lights, stop on the right, keep your distance even when stationary, switch off the engine and stay in your vehicle. Never overtake, turn round or reverse.

After a breakdown or accident: switch on your hazard lights, pull into a breakdown bay if possible, switch off the engine, leave the key in the ignition and alert the control centre from the nearest SOS station. There is an SOS station every 125 metres.

In a fire: drive out of the tunnel if you can. Otherwise stop on the right, leaving a gap to the vehicle in front, leave the key in the ignition, get out of the vehicle immediately and head for the nearest emergency shelter. There is a shelter every 250 metres.

Tune your radio to the frequency shown in the tunnel. The police can interrupt the programme for announcements. If you are on a hands-free call, you will not hear them.

Where are the official closure dates published?

AfBN publishes the annual plan on its page Maintenance work and projects. In 2026, before each of the closure series in March, June and autumn, the Canton of Uri’s public works department issued a press release, three to six days before the first night. FEDRO announced the additional nights in August in the press releases from its Zofingen branch. The TCS sums up the dates on its page Closures and diversions.

To check whether the tunnel is open right now, see the Canton of Uri’s road information, the TCS’s current traffic situation or the traffic reports on the radio.

Before you set off: check the live situation

The home page with the live traffic situation shows the queue length and delay in each direction, updated every 5 minutes from FEDRO’s traffic reports. The Gotthard traffic forecast shows the days on which queues typically build up. Our guide to the Gotthard road tunnel explains why queues form in front of the portals even without a closure.

Gotthard closures: frequently asked questions

When will the Gotthard tunnel be closed at night in 2027?

The Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) and the tunnel operator AfBN had not yet published the 2027 dates as of 2 November 2026. Going by the usual pattern, expect closure nights in March/April, June and September/October. They normally run from Monday evening to Friday morning, mostly from 8 pm to 5 am. The 2026 closure nights are over: the last one ended on the morning of Wednesday 7 October.

Why is the Gotthard tunnel closed on Wednesday nights?

Every week, the tunnel is closed to normal traffic from 11 pm on Wednesday to 1 am on Thursday so that abnormal loads can pass. According to FEDRO, vehicles 4.20 to 4.30 metres high or more than 3.50 metres wide may only use the tunnel on that night and only during those two hours. If you reach the portal during that window, you have to wait until 1 am or plan your journey differently.

What is the diversion when the Gotthard tunnel is closed?

While the Gotthard Pass is open, cars are diverted over the pass road wherever possible; the summit is at about 2,100 metres. In winter the pass is usually closed from November to May, which is why the Canton of Uri recommended the San Bernardino route (A13) for the closure nights in March 2026. Without queues, the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS) reckons on 2 hours 45 minutes from Zurich to Chiasso through the tunnel and 3 hours 15 minutes via either the Gotthard Pass or the San Bernardino.

How long is the Gotthard tunnel closed after an accident?

It depends on the incident. After a collision involving three vehicles on 26 June 2026, the tunnel was closed for about two hours. After a lorry fire on 4 July 2025, the closure lasted more than five and a half hours because of the recovery and clean-up work. In September 2023, damage to the intermediate ceiling kept it closed for about five days.

How can I check whether the Gotthard tunnel is open right now?

The Canton of Uri’s road information, the TCS’s current traffic situation and the traffic reports on the radio show whether the tunnel is open at the moment. Stauportal.ch shows the queue length and delay in each direction, updated every 5 minutes from FEDRO’s traffic reports.

Information provided without guarantee. For closures, the official announcements from FEDRO, AfBN and the cantonal police always take precedence.