The Gubrist Tunnel is a tunnel in Switzerland with a length of 3309.80 meters. It is part of the A1 motorway and the Zurich northern bypass, which is part of the A1 and A4. The tunnel is one of the most heavily trafficked roads in Switzerland, with over 100,000 vehicles passing through it every day. During peak hours, over 7,000 vehicles per hour use the tunnel. The Gubrist Tunnel was opened in 1985 with 2 tunnels, and in 2017, construction of a third tunnel began due to the high number of vehicles. The 3rd tunnel has a diameter of almost 16 meters, making it one of the largest tunnel tubes in Switzerland. Since the third tunnel was opened, the additional capacity is being used for the renovation of the older tunnels. The two tunnels are being renovated alternately, and it is planned that all 3 tunnels will be open for traffic simultaneously from 2027. The new tunnel has a total of 3 lanes, all of which have been open for vehicles heading towards Bern since July 2023, while the two old tunnels each have 2 lanes. The third tunnel is open with all 3 lanes for vehicles traveling towards Bern. During the renovation works of the old tunnels, one tunnel is closed, while 2 lanes of the other tunnel are open for traffic towards St. Gallen. From 2027, all 4 lanes of both tunnels towards St. Gallen will be open for traffic.
The Gubrist Tunnel is part of the Zurich northern bypass and runs northward along with the A4 as part of the A1, bypassing Zurich. With over 400,000 inhabitants, Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and is located at the northern end of Lake Zurich. Zurich is the economic center of Switzerland, with the banking and financial services sector being its most important industry. Both UBS and Credit Suisse, along with other Swiss traditional banks, are headquartered in Zurich. As the largest city in Switzerland, located on the beautiful Lake Zurich, Zurich is also a popular tourist destination with a range of attractions. These include the historical old town of Zurich with the old town hall and guild houses, the Fraumünster Church, and the St. Peter's Church. Beautiful parks, Lake Zurich, museums, and theaters complete a visit to Zurich. Zurich is located in the northern part of Switzerland and is well-connected with the A1, A3, and A4 motorways, as well as additional expressways leading to Zurich.
Lake Zurich is a lake located south of Zurich, with a circumference of almost 90 km and a volume of nearly 4 km³. In the past, Lake Zurich played an important role in transporting goods by ship, serving as a significant economic factor. Nowadays, navigation on Lake Zurich is mainly of a tourist nature, while the transportation of goods has primarily shifted to roads and railways. The famous Orient Express used to pass by Lake Zurich, among other routes.
The A1 motorway, of which the Gubrist Tunnel is a part, is the longest motorway in Switzerland (410 km) and runs in an east-west direction through Switzerland from the Bardonnex border crossing with France to the Swiss-Austrian border near Höchst. The first section of the current A1 was opened in May 1962, and it has been continuously expanded and can now be driven without interruption since 2001. Since then, the A1 has been further expanded to improve traffic flow. This includes, for example, the expansion of the Gubrist Tunnel with an additional tunnel, which was completed in 2023.
The Gubrist Tunnel is part of the A1 motorway/national road, running from the French-Swiss border to the Swiss-Austrian border. A separate vignette or toll for the Gubrist Tunnel is not required, but a general vignette for using motorways and national roads in Switzerland is needed. The vignette can be obtained as a sticker vignette, for example, at petrol stations or as a Digital Vignette conveniently through vignette-online.ch.
The Gubrist Tunnel is 3309.80 meters long.
The first two tubes of the Gubrist Tunnel were opened on June 21, 1985. The construction of a third tube began in November 2017, and it was opened for traffic on April 20, 2023. The third tube's third lane was opened for traffic in early July 2023.
The Gubrist Tunnel is generally open for traffic day and night. However, the two old tubes are still under renovation until 2027 and are being alternately closed. Until then, the three lanes of the new tube and two lanes of each old tube will be open for traffic. Generally, additional lanes may be closed, especially at night, for maintenance and cleaning work. You can find information about closures from the Federal Roads Office.
