The week, the Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive. decided the A1, the nation’s longest motorway should be at least three lanes in both directions along its entire length, reported RTS.
The Federal Council’s decision was in response to a proposal by Erich Hess, a parliamentarian from the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP). The motion was signed by around 30 of the party’s elected members.
The 383 km A1 motorway, which runs east/west from the edge of the canton of St Gallen to the edge of the canton of Geneva, is chronically overloaded in places.
Some stretches are already three-lane. However, much of the route, including parts of the highly congested stretch between Bern and Zurich, have only two lanes running in either direction.
Much of Switzerland’s national motorway network was constructed in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. The first stretch of the A1 (Lausanne – Geneva) was completed in 1964 and the last (Payerne – Yverdon) in 2001.
Since 2001, Switzerland’s population has risen by 24% and the number of passenger vehicles on Swiss roads by 30%.
More on this:
RTS article (in French) – Take a 5 minute French test now
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