The Belchen Tunnel is a roughly 3,200-meter (3.2 km) long, three-tube motorway tunnel located on the Swiss A2 motorway/national road between Eptingen and Hägendorf. It connects the Swiss cantons of Basel-Landschaft and Solothurn. Furthermore, the Belchen Tunnel is one of the most important north-south routes between Germany and Basel in Switzerland. Before the Belchen Tunnel existed or was opened to the public, all northwest-bound traffic from Switzerland and Germany had to travel via one of the country roads and the Lower or Upper Hauenstein Pass.
Since the city gate of Liestal was particularly affected by high traffic volumes (on peak days over 3,500 cars), plans began for a new national road including a tunnel. Construction began in 1960, and the tunnel was officially opened for cars, motorcycles, and trucks in 1970.
For the detail lovers: while the northern portal is located at an elevation of 605 meters above sea level, the southern portal is slightly higher at 610 meters. Due to the immense pressure from the surrounding mountain, some surface spalling occurred shortly after construction. For this reason, the Belchen Tunnel in Switzerland had to be converted into a construction site twice within just nine months. Between 2001 and 2003, one tunnel tube had to be closed each time for renovation work.
The Belchen Tunnel has a total of three tubes. However, it is important to note that the third tube is reserved for tunnel maintenance (emergency services, detours, and service access) and is therefore not available for regular car, motorcycle, or truck traffic. This setup significantly facilitates the preparation and execution of renovation work, as it helps prevent traffic jams when construction vehicles need to access the site.
The Belchen Tunnel is subject to the vignette requirement (vehicles up to 3.5 t GVW) or the payment of the heavy vehicle charge (vehicles over 3.5 t GVW), meaning it is toll-required. You must have a vignette or pay the heavy vehicle charge to use this route.
Unlike special toll tunnels such as the Great St. Bernard Tunnel and the Munt La Schera Tunnel, you do not have to pay additional fees beyond your vignette or heavy vehicle charge. The Belchen Tunnel is not a special toll route.
We wish you a pleasant trip to Switzerland and are happy to assist with any questions about Switzerland and its toll regulations. Contact us via email: [email protected]
