Breakdowns used to be better ...
08/17/2021
Another twelve or more kilometers of traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel last weekend and then this information:
" To make matters worse, the Gotthard tunnel was closed in both directions at the time due to a broken-down vehicle ...".
This is by no means the first time you have heard something like this. In fact, it is happening more and more often that a car does not simply come to a standstill, but is actually immobilized. Only charging (not electrically) helps. In a tunnel with oncoming traffic, the opposite lane must therefore also be closed so that the emergency vehicle can drive to the broken-down vehicle to recharge it safely.
When the Gotthard road tunnel was opened on September 5, 1980, it was probably hoped with some confidence that the traffic jams that had previously formed on the pass road would be history.
But just a decade later, the Automobil Revue reported:
"The Gotthard, as the planners wanted, was to remain the shortest and therefore fastest connection between north and south. But by the first weekend in July at the latest, thousands and thousands of heavily laden automobiles set off on their often arduous trek to the sunny south at the start of the summer vacation. The tinny caravan always comes to a standstill. Then "the traffic jam" reigns supreme, especially at the Gotthard road tunnel."
A tunnel with two-way traffic was certainly not the best solution against traffic congestion. But there were hardly ever complete closures back then just because a car broke down. Back then, most cars could still be pushed or pulled along by rope and at least moved to the next safety bay. This meant that a total closure was not necessary and the towing service was given extra time to rescue the stranded car. For most cars, it was enough to take the car out of gear and push hard, and the people in the convoy were certainly willing to lend a hand, as this was the only way they could unblock the passage. In addition, cars were of course much lighter back then, which was a considerable advantage when pushing ...
P.S. We would like to thank the ETH Library Zurich (photographer: Comet Photo AG / CC BY-SA 4.0) for providing us with the photo of the inauguration of the Gotthard road tunnel in September 1980.
