Oberalp Pass opens on Wednesday

The pass between Uri and Graubünden has been cleared of snow. On Wednesday, traffic can roll again.

The Oberalp Pass is open to traffic from Wednesday, April 22, from 8 a.m., as announced by the Uri Construction Directorate. "Over the past few weeks, the employees of the Canton Roads operation have been working intensively on the opening of the 2,044-metre-high pass between Uri and Graubünden." There was relatively little snow this winter. In addition to clearing snow, signals and guard rails had to be installed and further safety measures taken before traffic can roll again.

The Oberalp Pass is always the first Alpine crossing in Uri to be reopened to traffic. The pass  was opened a little later last year, on 1 May 2019.

Corona: Recreational traffic to be restricted
The evacuation work is still ongoing on the remaining passes in Uri. "This year, however, weather is not the only decisive factor as to whether and when the passes can be opened," says the Construction Directorate. "Because the federal government is calling for the possible restriction on leisure traffic due to the current crisis surrounding the Corona virus, this also has an impact on the opening date, depending on the rate of infection. However, in consultation with the cantonal management staff and the neighbouring canton, the Oberalp Pass can be opened without delay."

The operators of the clearance team have cleared the Oberalp Pass from the snow (as here in 2016).

Klausen Pass: opening to take place on 15 May
The opening of the Klausen Pass (1,948 m above sea level) is planned for 15 May. A partial opening of the Furka Pass (2,431 m above sea level) up to Tiefenbach is planned for 20 May. The complete Furka Pass should not be open before 10 June. The winter lockdown of the Susten Pass (2,224 m above sea level) is expected to last until 26 June, with the opening of the section to Sustenbrüggli on 20 May.

Gotthard could open on May 20
The work on the Gotthard Pass (2,108 m above sea level) is also already underway under the direction of the Office for National Roads Operation  (Amt für Betrieb Nationalstrassen). "The Gotthard Pass will be passable around Ascension Day (21 May) if the weather conditions are ideal," the construction directorate continues.

Attention: All these dates are without guarantee. "Opening dates can be delayed by up to two weeks depending on the weather in the mountains," says the Construction Directorate. "It is also possible that the Oberalp Pass will have to be temporarily closed again in the event of heavy snowfall." The construction department recommends checking the road conditions before each crosing. Up-to-date information, as well as comparative data from previous years is available on www.ur.ch/strasseninfos.