Gotthard tunnel southbound: queues at the north portal

Heading south, the Gotthard queue builds up on the A2 in the canton of Uri, on the approach to the north portal at Göschenen. Short queues reach back to Wassen, long ones to Amsteg or Erstfeld. How long the queue is right now and how much time you will lose is shown in the live summary below, updated every 5 minutes from the traffic reports of the Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO).

Live traffic situation · Göschenen north portal webcam

What is the southbound situation right now?

The live summary starts with southbound traffic, i.e. traffic from Lucerne and Altdorf heading for the north portal. “Traffic flowing freely” means FEDRO is reporting no hold-ups on the approach. “Slow-moving traffic” means an obstruction has been reported without a queue length. If there is a queue, you see the longest reported queue length and the delay, i.e. the waiting time at the portal. On the home page, the tunnel profile shows which section the queue is on, and the trend over the last few hours shows whether it is growing or shrinking.

The waiting time applies to the moment of the report. If the queue grows while you are still on your way, you will usually wait longer than shown when you arrive.

Where does the queue form on the approach to Göschenen?

FEDRO reports the southbound queue on the A2 “Lucerne → Gotthard” from one junction to the Göschenen junction. Depending on its length, the report starts at Wassen, Amsteg or Erstfeld. Stauportal groups these reports into two sections:

Erstfeld–Göschenen: reports starting at Wassen or Erstfeld. This section also picks up reports about the cantonal road between Erstfeld and Göschenen, which FEDRO issues as a traffic obstruction with a long delay.

Amsteg–Göschenen: reports starting at Amsteg. When a queue grows, FEDRO often moves it from the report starting at Wassen to the one starting at Amsteg. That is why the southbound figure always uses the longest reported queue across both sections, so the queue doesn’t seem to vanish just as it peaks.

Anything that happens in the tunnel itself, such as a closure, appears as a tunnel report and counts for both directions.

Why is traffic metered at the north portal?

The tunnel has a single tube with two-way traffic. Since the fire of 2001, no more than 1,000 passenger car units per hour in each direction may enter; a lorry counts as three. When more vehicles arrive, the drip-feed system automatically switches to metering and releases vehicles in batches at the traffic lights. Lorries keep a distance of at least 150 metres in the tunnel.

That is why FEDRO calls a half-hour wait “safety time”. It only speaks of a queue caused by traffic overload once the wait reaches two hours or more.

Lorries are held back even before they reach the portal: according to the canton, the Uri heavy goods vehicle centre in Erstfeld (Ripshausen site) serves as a holding area ahead of the drip-feed system at the north portal. The Uri cantonal police run it on behalf of FEDRO. More on the technology: Gotthard road tunnel.

Can I avoid the queue by driving through the villages?

Usually not. The Uri queue management working group, led by the cantonal security and construction departments together with FEDRO, deliberately restricts diversion traffic on the cantonal road. From the opening of the pass on 8 May 2026 until the Gotthard Pass closes in autumn 2026, the following rules apply:

Once the queue reaches three kilometres, the Göschenen slip road southbound is closed. The Wassen slip road always stays open. Once the queue reaches eight kilometres, a speed limit of 80 km/h applies from the south portal of the Seelisberg tunnel to the Amsteg exit. At Erstfeld and Amsteg the exits are metered when needed, and the slip roads in the Schöllenen towards Göschenen can be closed.

Before the pass opened, the rules were stricter: from 28 March 2026, the Göschenen and Wassen slip roads stayed closed once the queue reached three kilometres, and Göschenen only opened four times a day for 15 minutes for residents, workers and guests. Southbound traffic from Amsteg could then only use the A2. Whether the same rules will apply in winter 2026/27 had not been announced at the time of writing.

If the pass is open and you want to take the Gotthard Pass instead of the tunnel, use the extended Göschenen exit. It starts immediately after the Wassen slip road, is about three kilometres long and leads straight to the turning lane for the pass road, without a detour through the village.

When are there queues southbound?

Southbound queues build up when holidays and long weekends begin. For Easter 2026, FEDRO expected considerable delays from early Wednesday afternoon, on Maundy Thursday and on Good Friday, mainly at the north portal. In July, according to the Touring Club Switzerland (TCS), the start of the holidays in Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands causes queues at the north portal every day, with tailbacks of ten kilometres or more and waits of several hours at weekends.

The dates up to summer 2027 are in the traffic forecast. More on the holidays: Easter traffic and summer holiday traffic.

What are the alternatives southbound?

The main alternative is the San Bernardino route (A13), but on peak days there are queues there too. In summer there is also the Gotthard Pass. Decide early, ideally before Altdorf, rather than once you are already stuck in the queue at Amsteg. The pros and cons: Avoiding the Gotthard. On closure nights the tunnel is shut completely; for the dates, see Gotthard closures. For the return journey, see Queues at the south portal.

Southbound queue: frequently asked questions

How far back does the queue at the Gotthard north portal reach?

Short queues reach back to Wassen, long ones to Amsteg or Erstfeld. FEDRO reports the queue from the junction where it starts to the Göschenen junction, and Stauportal always shows the longest reported queue for southbound traffic.

Why are there traffic lights in front of the Gotthard tunnel at Göschenen?

They meter the traffic. The tunnel has a single tube with two-way traffic, and since the fire of 2001 no more than 1,000 passenger car units per hour in each direction may enter; a lorry counts as three. When more vehicles arrive, the drip-feed system releases them in batches. FEDRO calls a half-hour wait “safety time”.

When is the Göschenen slip road closed?

Southbound, it closes once the queue reaches three kilometres; the Wassen slip road always stays open. These rules apply from the opening of the pass on 8 May 2026 until the Gotthard Pass closes in autumn 2026. Before the pass opened, from 28 March 2026, the Wassen slip road closed at three kilometres as well. Whether the same rules will apply in winter 2026/27 had not been announced at the time of writing.

How do I get onto the Gotthard Pass road when the tunnel is congested?

When the pass is open, take the extended Göschenen exit. It starts immediately after the Wassen slip road, is about three kilometres long and leads straight to the turning lane for the pass road, without a detour through the village.

Information provided without guarantee. Official information from FEDRO and the cantonal police always takes precedence.