Expanding the Swiss road network

Swiss national road network

07.03.07 - Ernst Basler + Partner is part of a planning joint venture to analyse future expansion.

The Swiss Federal Roads Authority (FEDRO) is preparing some important changes of direction for the Swiss national road network. These new directions are contained in the three messages to the parliament, the “National Road Network decision (NEB)”, the “Bottleneck removal programme (PEB)” and “Agglomeration traffic programme”; the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) has overall responsibility for the latter. All three messages to the parliament are connected with one another in terms of content. Since the 1 January 2008, with the redistribution of tasks and finances between Swiss national and local government (NFA), the division of tasks between the Federal Government and the cantons has changed with regard to the basis of planning decision-making.

NEB represents the presentation to parliament of a bill for a modified decision on the national road network. This decision is based on the relevant part of the sectoral plan of transport. With this decision, made on 26 April 2006, the Federal Council (Executive) set out the binding criteria for the allocation of roads to the basic and supplementary network. Some essential questions concerning the division between the national road network and the cantonal roads – in particular in agglomeration areas – are as yet unresolved and need to be clarified. The effects on Federal Government and cantons of the changed network-related decision will be shown.

In the Bottleneck removal programme (PEB), the Federal Council has to show how it intends to deal with the existing and foreseeable bottlenecks on today’s national road network, and which measures will be implemented using the infrastructure fund of CHF 5.5 billion provided for by the Swiss Infrastructure Law. These involve increasing the capacity by means of additional lanes. On the basis of a bottleneck analysis for the existing national road network, the effects of expansion projects are examined and evaluated on a systematic comparative basis.

In order to provide an overview of the effect of the infrastructure project on the existing national road network, new-build projects will also be included in the considerations, which can show the alternatives to lane addition, but which would not be financed by the infrastructure fund. Information on all future infrastructure projects will be gathered as a basis for the overview, and the relevant intentions of the cantons heard.

An initial message to the parliament on the road network decision concerning the undisputed elements according to the sectoral plan of transport is to be presented to parliament at the beginning of 2009. Due to certain dependencies, the further necessary adaptations to the network, which also take account of the road network in the agglomerations, may only be presented to parliament together with the two programmes, PEB and agglomeration traffic; that is, on 31 December 2009.

In all the described areas of the further development of the national road network, the Swiss Federal Roads Authority is supported by a planning joint venture, consisting of Ernst Basler + Partner AG, Zurich (with overall control) and Transitec SA, Lausanne, with consultation by Ecoplan and F. Preisig AG.