120 new traffic lights at Swiss interchanges

Context

TL;DR

• More than 120 new traffic lights are under consideration at Swiss interchanges
• In 2025, traffic jams reached 68.040 hours
• Congestion hours increased by 20%
• Traffic metering can increase interchange capacity by up to 5%

Key facts

• Who → USTRA
• Measure → ramp metering
• Installations already operational → 15
• Main areas → Zurich, Basel and French-speaking Switzerland
• Further measure under consideration → 24 motorway sections

In 2025, Swiss motorways recorded 68.040 hours of congestion, about 20% more than the previous year. The figure accompanies USTRA's strategy to install more than 120 new traffic lights at motorway interchanges. The aim is to make traffic on the main arteries more regular, while accepting that the slowdown may shift to the cantonal and municipal road network.

For the cross-border commuter travelling toward Ticino using the Swiss road network, the issue is not only the smooth flow of the main carriageway. The location of the traffic light may determine where the queue forms: on the main route or before the entrance, along a local road. The source does not assign Canton Ticino a specific number of installations, but mentions it as an area where traffic management via traffic lights is already at the center of political and social debate. To follow the issue from a mobility perspective, the cross-border commuter can read the news alongside tempi di attesa ai valichi, without confusing the general data with any possible local project.

For those arriving from the local network, the expected benefit on the main carriageway may therefore not coincide with a faster entry. This is the compromise factored into the strategy: preserving the main routes, even by shifting part of the waiting time.

The measure after the 2024 vote

The popular rejection in 2024 of the motorway expansion project prompted USTRA to seek alternatives that do not require new lanes. The central measure is «ramp metering»: traffic lights at access points regulate vehicles entering at intervals, with the aim of preventing sudden slowdowns and reducing the risk of accidents on the main carriageway.

In Switzerland, 15 installations of this type are already operational. The new traffic lights under consideration would be concentrated mainly in the large urban agglomerations of Zurich and Basel and in French-speaking Switzerland. According to USTRA's estimates, ramp metering would make it possible to increase interchange capacity by up to 5%. However, this is not yet a decision ready for implementation: the actual timelines for the 120 installations are not yet certain.

Operational details

Where the congestion can shift

The practical issue for the cross-border commuter is not just the number of traffic lights, but the transfer of congestion. A more fluid main road can coexist with a longer queue before the entrance. This is the strategy's paradox: improving access capacity and, at the same time, slowing down the local network.

An internal memo from January 2025, cited by the SonntagsZeitung, makes this compromise explicit: the Confederation calculates and accepts that queues may spill over onto cantonal and municipal sections. For those crossing Canton Ticino, the practical consequence to consider is the difference between a queue on the main route and a queue before the access. The available material does not indicate which Ticino interchanges would be involved, nor does it establish when work would begin. The announcement of more than 120 installations therefore does not allow a precise forecast for every route.

The Basel precedent

The discussion north of the Gotthard shows why the local impact is the most sensitive issue. In the Basel region alone, 19 installations are under review. Basel-Stadt and Schaffhausen claim they were excluded from the initial analyses. The Union of Swiss Cities, however, fears that traffic could spill into residential neighborhoods, posing risks to pedestrians and cyclists.

USTRA maintains that Cantons and Municipalities will be involved in defining the individual projects. This assurance does not yet amount to a timetable, but it indicates that the assessment must also look at the local network. A mappa dei valichi helps the commuter distinguish the point of passage from the next affected interchange.

The second measure examined by USTRA remains separate: on 24 motorway sections, the temporary conversion of the emergency lane into an additional driving lane during peak hours is being assessed. This too is an option under study, not an already widespread change.

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Key points

For a cross-border commuter, following the dossier mainly requires distinguishing what is operational from what is still under study. The source does not provide an operational start date; useful monitoring therefore starts from the project's status and not from a personal forecast.

1. Separate the two dossiers. The new traffic lights number more than 120 and concern interchanges. The temporary conversion of the emergency lane, on the other hand, concerns 24 sections and peak hours. These are parallel measures, not a single intervention.

2. Distinguish what already exists from what is proposed. In Switzerland, 15 metering installations are already operational; the more than 120 new installations, on the other hand, remain under study by USTRA.

3. Look at the local network. When talking about a single project, the practical question is where the queue could form: on the main carriageway, on the cantonal or municipal road, or before the access point. The strategy explicitly considers this latter effect as well.

4. Await the project stage. USTRA assures that cantons and municipalities will be involved in defining the individual projects. Before that stage, the available text contains neither a real timeline for the 120 installations nor a specific list for Ticino.

A sheet for the commuter

The personal sheet can remain simple: note the motorway access used, the local road leading to the interchange, and the difference between a queue on the main route and a queue before the entrance. These elements do not anticipate the plan's outcome, but they help read updates without turning a hypothesis into a change already in effect.

The emergency lane should also be viewed with caution: the conversion is being examined only on 24 sections and for peak hours, so it does not constitute a generalized modification of the network. For daily monitoring, pair the sheet with storico traffico e code ai valichi. It is the most relevant tool for the cross-border commuter who wants to follow the dossier's progress from the commuting perspective.

Source: comozero.it