Better protection thanks to emergency galleries

The road tunnels in the Bernese Oberland are upgraded to the latest safety technology. The main focus is on constructing emergency galleries.

More stringent regulations governing safety in road tunnels were introduced in Switzerland in 2004 as a consequence of a series of major fires in motorway tunnels (Mont Blanc, Tauern, Gotthard) at the turn of the century. All new tunnels now have to be constructed in accordance with the more stringent safety standards, while existing tunnels are being successively upgraded.

In the tunnels in the Bernese Oberland, the first step was to modify the traffic signposting and guidance systems, followed by a variety of structural improvements. There, the main task concerns the construction of emergency galleries which will enable people to escape from a tunnel in the event of a fire or another incident.

There are two types of emergency galleries: safety galleries are constructed parallel to the main tube and can be reached via emergency exits installed at regular intervals in the tunnel, while escape galleries lead laterally from the tunnel directly to the exterior. Since 2013, all single-tube tunnels in the Bernese Oberland are being equipped with emergency galleries: safety galleries will be constructed in longer tunnels, while shorter tunnels will be equipped with escape galleries.