The Great St. Bernhard Tunnel is a tunnel located in the southern canton (state) of Valais in Switzerland. It connects the Swiss city of Martigny (population: 15,600 as of 2008) from the main road 21 to the Italian "Strada Statale 27" (SS27 or also known as State Road 27), leading to the Italian city of Aosta (population: 34,300 as of 2017). The construction of the St. Bernhard Tunnel began in 1958 and was finalized and completed in 1964. It was opened for road traffic on March 19, 1964.
On the opening day of the St. Bernhard Tunnel, approximately 1,200 vehicles drove through it. For comparison, in the entire year of 2013, there were a total of 620,000 vehicles passing through the tunnel, averaging 1,699 vehicles per day. The tunnel is operated by the company SISEX SA, which is jointly owned by TGSB (Tunnel du Grand-Saint Bernhard) and SITRASB (Traforo del Gran San Bernhardo). Due to the tunnel's operation between two states, it was decided in 2006 to charge the toll without value-added tax or any other sales tax.
Regular maintenance works take place throughout the year, during which the St. Bernhard Tunnel is partially closed at night and sometimes during the day. In such cases, it must be bypassed via the Great St. Bernhard Pass (approximately 2,500 meters above sea level) or the Simplon Pass. The Great St. Bernhard Tunnel is a total of 5,798 meters (approximately 5.8 km) long, with one tube passing under the Great St. Bernhard Pass at an elevation of approximately 1,900 meters above sea level. Regarding its capacity, the tunnel can accommodate around 1,700 vehicles per day.
Yes, the Great St. Bernhard Tunnel is subject to tolls. The digital route-specific toll can be purchased in our online shop for VARIABLE.
The Great St. Bernhard Tunnel is a total of 5,798 meters (approximately 5.8 km) long.
The drive through the San Bernhardino Tunnel takes approximately 40 minutes.
When traveling from Switzerland to Italy, the Gotthard Tunnel is used.
Yes, the San Bernhardino Pass is crossed by the San Bernhardino Tunnel.
The Little St. Bernhard Pass is located in the Aosta Valley and connects the high valley of La Thuile with the French valley of Haute-Tarentaise.
