Massive Traffic Jams Across Alpine Routes During Pentecost Weekend

The worst congestion developed at the Gotthard tunnel, where the queue grew from 10 km at 5 AM to 16 km by 7 AM, eventually peaking at 21 km. Travelers faced additional journey times of up to 3.5 hours according to SRF traffic reports.

Gotthard Tunnel Worst Affected

Minor accidents and vehicle breakdowns exacerbated the situation on Germany's A8 autobahn between Siegsdorf and Walserberg, where delays exceeded one hour. ÖAMTC traffic expert Florian Thaler monitoring the A10 Tauern Autobahn reported: "Aus Deutschland kommt allerdings noch ordentlich was nach" (Substantial traffic is still coming from Germany).

Authorities recommended the A13 via San Bernardino tunnel as an alternative, but this route also developed significant backups. In the opposite direction, the Chiasso-Brogeda border crossing saw 3 km queues causing 20-minute delays.

Alternative Routes Also Congested

The Pentecost traffic peak followed historical patterns, though some routes like the A10 Tauern Autobahn saw lighter congestion than previous years, with only 20-minute delays at the St. Michael toll station.

Thaler predicted the worst congestion would occur between 11 AM and noon, stating: "Ich rechne mit einer deutlichen Zunahme der Staus auf österreichischer Seite. Die Stauspitze werden wir zwischen 11 und 12 Uhr erleben" (I expect a significant increase in traffic jams on the Austrian side. We'll see the peak between 11 and 12).