Switzerland: A2 Osttangente Basel restricted on five weekends (September/October 2026)

The A2 Osttangente in Basel will have restricted traffic on five weekends between September 4 and October 5, 2026, each time from Friday or Saturday evening at 9 p.m. until Monday morning at 5 a.m. The reason is the installation of a new, low-noise surface layer in the area of the Bäumlihof Bridge and the Schwarzwald Tunnel. The Osttangente is one of the busiest connections between Switzerland, Germany, and France.

Anyone traveling through Basel toward Germany or France in September or early October should factor the closure periods into their route planning.

Which dates are affected?

The work is spread over five weekends: September 4–7, September 11–14, September 18–21, September 26–28, and October 3–5, 2026. From September 18 to 21, 2026, a short section will also be temporarily completely closed in both directions; on the other weekends, one lane per direction will generally remain open. Also affected are the Wettsteinallee, Zürcherstrasse, Riehenstrasse, Freiburgerstrasse, and Badenstrasse entrances and exits, which will be temporarily closed.

Effects for travelers heading to Germany and France

Traffic to and from Germany will be diverted via Basel's city street network during the closure periods, resulting in additional traffic in the city center. Toward France, passage via the A2 generally remains possible, but with the same capacity restrictions. The Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) recommends avoiding the route entirely during the closure periods if possible, or allowing significantly more travel time, for example for trips to EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg or to train connections.

Toll in Switzerland

In Switzerland, tolls are collected via three different systems. Vehicles up to 3.5 t GVW, i.e., cars, motorcycles, and motorhomes, are subject to the vignette requirement, whereby only an annual vignette is available in Switzerland, with no shorter validity periods. For vehicles over 3.5 t GVW, the performance-related heavy vehicle charge (LSVA) applies instead. In addition, the Great St. Bernard Tunnel and the Munt la Schera Tunnel have two separate special toll routes, which apply independently of the vignette or LSVA. For more details, see our guide Toll in Switzerland.

Anyone who regularly travels through several countries often benefits from the Europamaut Flatrate for €12.80 per month: vignettes for all eight supported countries can be activated through a single subscription, with no commitment and the option to cancel at any time.

The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant journey!

If you're traveling via the A2 through Basel in September or early October, be sure to allow for enough extra time due to the weekend closures. You can find everything about the vignette requirement in Switzerland on our Switzerland overview page, and details on the border crossings on the Switzerland-Germany border and Switzerland-France border pages. If you have any questions, you can reach us anytime by email.