Approval for new Gotthard Tunnel

Approval has been given for the project to build a new parallel link for the Gotthard Tunnel in Switzerland. The second road tunnel has been given the go ahead after 57% of Swiss subjects who voted in a referendum backed the plans. Construction of the new tunnel will start in 2020 and will end in 2027. In addition, the project calls for the current Gotthard road tunnel to be closed for three years for renovation work so as to bring it up to the latest safety requirements. Both tunnels will be open from 2030, and each will carry traffic in one direction only. Both tunnels will have two lanes, although there will only be one lane in operation, so that the volume of traffic using the tunnels does not increase. The Gotthard tunnel forms a key stretch of the most important transit corridor through Switzerland.