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 both the A1 and A4 motorways. The tunnel is one of the most heavily trafficked roads in Switzerland, with over 100,000 vehicles passing through it daily. During peak hours, over 7,000 vehicles per hour use the tunnel. The Gubrist Tunnel opened in 1985 with two tunnels, and construction of a third tunnel began in 2017 due to the high volume of vehicles. The third tunnel has a diameter of nearly 16 meters, making it one of the largest tunnel tubes in Switzerland. Since the third tunnel opened, the additional capacity is being used for the renovation of the older tunnels. The two older tunnels are being renovated alternately, and it is planned that all three tunnels will be open to traffic simultaneously from 2027. The new tunnel has a total of three lanes, all of which have been open for vehicles heading towards Bern since July 2023, while the two old tunnels each have two lanes. The third tunnel is open with all three lanes for vehicles traveling towards Bern. During renovation works on the older tunnels, one tunnel is closed, while two lanes of the other tunnel are open for traffic towards St. Gallen. From 2027, all four lanes of both tunnels towards St. Gallen will be open to traffic.
The Gubrist Tunnel is part of the Zurich northern bypass and runs northward along 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 banking and financial services being its most important industries. Both UBS and Credit Suisse, along with other traditional Swiss banks, have their headquarters in Zurich. As the largest city in Switzerland, located on the beautiful Lake Zurich, Zurich is also a popular tourist destination with numerous attractions. These include the historical old town of Zurich with its old town hall and guild houses, the Fraumünster Church, and 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 other expressways leading into the city.
Lake Zurich is a lake located south of Zurich, with a circumference of nearly 90 km and a volume of nearly 4 km³. In the past, Lake Zurich played an important role in transporting goods by ship and was a significant economic factor. Nowadays, navigation on Lake Zurich is primarily for tourist purposes, while the transportation of goods has mainly 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 east to west across the country, 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, becoming uninterruptedly accessible since 2001. Since then, the A1 has been further extended 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 toll for the Gubrist Tunnel is not required, but a general vignette for using motorways and national roads in Switzerland is necessary. The vignette can be obtained, for example, as a sticker vignette 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 opened for traffic on April 20, 2023. The third lane of the third tube was opened in early July 2023.
The Gubrist Tunnel is generally open to traffic day and night. However, the two older tubes are under renovation until 2027 and are being closed alternately. Until then, the three lanes of the new tube and two lanes of each old tube are open for traffic. Additional lanes may also be closed, especially at night, for maintenance and cleaning work. Information about closures can be found on the Federal Roads Office website.