Most drivers probably drive thoughtlessly under the "bridge restaurant" on the A1 highway (formerly "N1") when they are traveling from Zurich to Bern (or in the opposite direction). Yet this highway restaurant was a pioneering achievement!
It was in 1969 that we first read about the plans of the "Mövenpick" company to build the world's largest bridge restaurant over the six-lane N1 near Würenlos, around 18 km outside Zurich. The company already had some experience with highway restaurants, as there were already several "Silberkugel" restaurants on the N3 (Wädenswil) and N1 (Deitingen SO) highways.
7 to 10 million Swiss francs were budgeted for the construction of the Würenlos service area and it was expected to attract 15 out of every 100 passing motorists. And since 50,000 to 80,000 cars a day were expected to use the N1, it was hoped that the restaurant would attract around 7,000 visitors a day.
In April 1971, progress was reported on the construction, with plans for four restaurants, a bar and two service stations financed by Gulf Oil. The restaurants were to be able to seat 600 guests at a time, making it the largest of its kind in the world.
The AR reported extensively at the time: "The various restaurants are completely separate from one another, both structurally and in terms of furnishings: there is a silver sphere with around 80 seats, a country inn for around 110 guests, the Habsburg Grill with around 130 seats, the cafeteria for 220 people, the children's restaurant with 50 seats and the Boulevard Café for around 55 visitors.
A span of almost 140 meters had to be bridged during the construction of the elongated building. In 1971, people were already talking about a "24 million project" and predicted the opening in July 1972.
And as early as June 1972, the first part of the bridge restaurant was opened on Thursday, June 15 from 06:30. The official inauguration date was then set for October 1972.
50 years
So it is almost exactly 50 years since the Würenlos freeway service station was opened, and this should of course be celebrated accordingly in 2022. Of course, the bridge restaurant has changed over the decades, the exterior color has changed, as has the layout inside. The Gulf petrol brand has long since ceased to exist in Switzerland, but extensive petrol station stores have.
To celebrate the 50th birthday, a classic car meeting was organized on 24 April 2022. Coming from Zurich in the direction of Bern, a section of the parking lot was reserved for old cars and from 10:00 onwards, more and more classic cars arrived, which were able to drive in both via the freeway and via a small access road from Würenlos.
Almost like back then
Many VW Beetles, a few Fiat 500s, French, English and American cars were parked side by side. It was almost like back then, around 50 years ago. In fact, most of the classic cars that had come together could have been there at the opening in 1972, although some of the cars were a little younger than 50 years old.
There was a lot on offer. You could, of course, buy food at attractive prices, have your photo taken in a VW bus or enjoy a ride in one of the classic cars provided by Emil Frey Classics, including a rare Aston Martin with the license plate "AG 007". Above all, however, you could talk about your visits to the service station many, many years ago among many like-minded people.
But did the classic car drivers know that they were allowed to drive under the world's largest bridge restaurant or eat inside?
