Zug,29.05.2015

Canton to act to alleviate peak-time congestion

Regular users of the northern access by-pass between the motorway and the city of Zug are certain to have noticed how congested it is at rush-hour times. Now the canton has decided to act to alleviate the situation.
 
Traffic levels are particularly high between 7.45 am and 8.30 am on weekdays; indeed very often it is bumper-to-bumper in slow-moving traffic. In fact it has been worked out that, for the 2.5-kilometre-stretch between the exit from the motorway and the roundabout at Aabachstrasse, some 10 minutes are needed; in other words, traffic there moves at an average speed of 20 kph. It has been noticed that, out of frustration, some drivers have been trying to get to Zug via Baarerstrasse, though this road is primarily there to serve public transport.
 
Admittedly, at other times, traffic seems to move quite freely and not all congestion means that traffic comes to a standstill. However, statistics show that traffic on this by-pass route has increased significantly since it was opened in 2009. As Heinz Tännler, the head of planning in the canton, confirmed, whereas as between 9,000 and 10,000 vehicles used the road initially, now this figure is up to 14,500 in the southern part between the Neuhof roundabout and Feldstrasse and as many as 16,000 in the northern section; and all this on account of some 40,000 commuting to work every day.
 
Tännler denied that there had been an error in calculating the amount of traffic on this Nordzufahrt, as it is known in German. But what is clear is that measures will have to be taken to help alleviate the problems. To this end, additional lanes and other improvements have been mooted.
 
As indicated by the red markings on the diagram, the canton is considering widening the by-pass by two further lanes between the motorway and the Neuhof roundabout. One reason for this is that the current access road for traffic heading from Baar to Zug is regarded as too short and causes tailbacks. Then there could be an additional bypass running parallel to it for traffic heading in the opposite direction between the Neuhof roundabout and the traffic lights on Weststrasse. In addition, steps will be undertaken to ensure there will no longer be tailbacks stretching as far back as the motorway.
 
With a contribution from the Swiss State, the canton is not expected to bear the total cost of between CHF 10 and CHF 15 million itself.