Swiss tunnel re-opens after fire

The tunnel suffered extensive damage in the fire

By Emma Jane Kirby in Geneva

Switzerland's St Gotthard road tunnel, a key north-south link through the Alps, has reopened nearly two months after a fire killed 11 motorists there.

Friday's re-opening is only for cars, but lorries will be allowed through from early Saturday.

The tunnel now has strict new safety measures in place, but some local people are unhappy with the decision to re-open the route.

Since the Mont Blanc tunnel was closed in 1999 following another fire there, the St Gotthard road has been used as the major transport link across the Alps and its closure has caused traffic chaos across Europe.

Local fears

Lorries will have to travel 150 yards apart and the tunnel will only open to them in one direction at a time.

The numbers of lorries that can travel through the tunnel daily has also been reduced from 5,500 to just 3,500.

Some local people have voiced oppostion to the reopening, fearing queues of traffic and noise pollution.

There have been calls for a second tube to be added to the St Gotthard tunnel to relieve pressure on the route, but the Swiss Government insists that the better solution is to transfer all trans-Alpine road freight to rail.