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Relief of the congested motorway in the city of Basel is approaching: the new Rhine tunnel could be built as early as 2029. The Federal Council has approved the road project.
A new highway tunnel is to alleviate the chronically congested Osttangente.
Photo: Lucia Hunziker
The planned Rhine tunnel in Basel is a further step: the Federal Council has approved the general project to extend the section of the Osttangente motorway through the city. The start of construction of the 2.36 billion project is not scheduled for 2029 at the earliest.
The new tunnel under the Rhine is intended to relieve the often congested A2 / A3 between the Hagnau and Wiese branches, as announced by the Federal Council on Wednesday. The cost of the project is estimated at around 2.36 billion francs.
The start of construction is scheduled for 2029 and, according to the announcement, depends on the prioritization of expansion projects by Parliament as part of the strategic development program of the National Route 2022 (STEP). The construction period is ten years.
The Rhine tunnel begins at Birsfelden and ends north of Badischer Bahnhof.
According to the notification, the Rhine tunnel comprises a two-lane tube in two directions: the tube in the direction of France / Germany must start at the Birsfelden junction. An additional lane will be implemented on the Birsfelden motorway slip road.
The tunnel is scheduled to end north of the Badischer Bahnhof in Basel. The Klybeck exit of the section of the Nordtangente motorway will be used as a connection to the Rhine tunnel. Although this exit was implemented as part of the construction of the northern ring road, it was never put into operation to prevent traffic in the Klybeck district of Basel additional.
From Germany, a new exit ramp will be built on the existing border bridge of the A2-Osttangente. The project also plans to improve noise protection with “sound absorbing coatings and a low noise surface”.
