Switzerland: A2 Basel East Bypass restricted on five weekends (September/October 2026)

The A2 Osttangente in Basel will have restricted traffic between September 4 and October 5, 2026, on five weekends, each time from Friday or Saturday evening 9 pm until Monday morning 5 am. The reason is the installation of a new, low-noise surface layer in the area of the Bäumlihof Bridge and the Schwarzwald Tunnel. The Osttangente is one of the most heavily used connections between Switzerland, Germany, and France.

Anyone traveling through Basel toward Germany or France in September or early October should factor the closure times into their route planning.

Which dates are affected?

The work is spread over five weekends: September 4 to 7, September 11 to 14, September 18 to 21, September 26 to 28, and October 3 to 5, 2026. From September 18 to 21, 2026, a short section will also be temporarily fully closed in both directions; on the other weekends, one lane per direction will generally remain open. Also affected are the Wettsteinallee, Zürcherstrasse, Riehenstrasse, Freiburgerstrasse, and Badenstrasse on- and off-ramps, which will be temporarily closed.

Impact for travelers heading to Germany and France

Traffic to and from Germany will be diverted via Basel's city street network during the closure periods, resulting in additional traffic in the city center. Toward France, passage via the A2 remains generally possible, albeit with the same capacity restrictions. ASTRA recommends avoiding the route entirely during the closure periods if possible, or allowing for significantly more travel time, for example when traveling to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg or to train connections.

Toll in Switzerland

In Switzerland, tolls are collected through three different systems. For vehicles up to 3.5 t GVW, i.e. cars, motorcycles, and motorhomes, the vignette requirement applies, with only an annual vignette available in Switzerland, no shorter validity periods. For vehicles over 3.5 t GVW, the performance-related Heavy Vehicle Charge (LSVA) applies instead. In addition, the Great St. Bernard Tunnel and the Munt la Schera Tunnel represent two separate special toll routes, which are charged independently of the vignette or LSVA. More on this in our guide Toll in Switzerland.

Anyone who regularly travels through multiple countries often benefits from the Europamaut flat rate for €12.80 per month: vignettes for all eight supported countries can be activated via a single flat rate.

The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant journey!

If you're traveling via the A2 through Basel in September or early October, be sure to allow enough time buffer for the weekend closures. You'll find everything about the vignette requirement in Switzerland on our Switzerland overview page, and details on the border crossings on the Switzerland-Germany border and Switzerland-France border pages. If you have any questions, you can reach us anytime by email.