The Seelisbergtunnel is a tunnel in Switzerland with a length of over 9,200 meters. It is part of the A2 motorway (also known as the Gotthard motorway), which runs from the German border near Basel through Switzerland to the Italian border near Chiasso, making it a crucial route for north-south traffic in Europe. Contrary to its name, the Seelisbergtunnel is not named after the mountain through which it passes but after the town of Seelisberg, which is adjacent to the tunnel. The mountain through which the Seelisbergtunnel passes is the Niederbauen Kulm in the Urner Alps, which has an elevation of 1,923 meters and borders Lake Lucerne. The Seelisbergtunnel runs through the mountain along Lake Lucerne from Lucerne to Altdorf and was opened to the public in December 1980. Before 1980, ferries were commonly used to cover the north-south route, and now over 20,000 vehicles pass through the Seelisbergtunnel daily.
Lake Lucerne, also known as Vierwaldstättersee, covers an area of 114 km² and is located in the 4 cantons (formerly Waldstätten) of Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden, and Lucerne (hence the name). It is the fifth-largest lake in Switzerland and is situated in the central part of Switzerland, south of Zurich. The major towns located on the shores of Lake Lucerne include Lucerne, Küssnacht, Horw, and Brunnen. The lake is divided into several basins and bays: the Urnersee in the east, the Gersauer See in the middle, and the Chrüztrichter in the west. The Seelisbergtunnel passes through the lakeside area from the Gersauer See to the Urnersee.
The Niederbauen Kulm is a 1,923 meters high mountain in the Urner Alps in Switzerland, which borders Lake Lucerne from the south. Since 1980, the Seelisbergtunnel passes through the Niederbauen Kulm, bridging a significant gap of the A2, which now connects the German-Swiss border to the Italian-Swiss border.
The A2 motorway, also known as the Gotthard motorway, is the most important road connection through the Swiss Alps from Germany to Italy. It has a total length of 295 km, starting from the German border near Basel and ending at the Italian border near Chiasso. Construction of the A2 began in the 1950s, with the opening of the Lucerne-South exit in 1955. The following tunnels are part of the A2:
The Seelisbergtunnel is part of the A2 motorway, which connects the German-Swiss border to the Italian-Swiss border. There is no separate toll or fee for using the Seelisbergtunnel. However, a general vignette is required for driving on Swiss motorways and national roads. The vignette can be purchased as a sticker vignette at gas stations or as a digital vignette conveniently through vignette-online.ch.
The Seelisbergtunnel is 9,292 meters or 9,250 meters long.
Construction of the Seelisbergtunnel began in 1971. The construction work was completed in 1980, and the Seelisbergtunnel was opened to the public in December 1980.
The Seelisbergtunnel is generally open for traffic day and night. However, it may be closed during nighttime for maintenance and cleaning purposes. You can check for closures on the Federal Roads Office website.
