The Gotthard road tunnel, one of the main crossing points between northern and southern Switzerland and Europe, could be reopened by the end of the week, according to the federal transport minister, AFP reported.

“The Gotthard will be reopened by the end of the week at the latest,” Albert Resti told public radio station SRF.

The tunnel has been closed in both directions since Sunday afternoon.

The Federal Road Administration (FEDRO) decided to ban all traffic after a crack appeared in the ceiling and chunks of concrete fell.

The crack stretches 25 meters, 700 meters beyond the northern gate, FEDRO said in a press release.

Traffic – thousands of vehicles every day, including many trucks – is therefore diverted to San Bernardino Road and the Gotthard Pass Road.

Work began on Monday “with the aim of reopening the tunnel if possible by the end of the week”, FEDRO confirmed.

The “suspended ceiling” of the structure, in which the ventilation system is located, must be demolished and replaced over a length of 25 meters.

The main purpose is to provide ventilation in the relevant section. “Challenge”, according to OFROU.

This would lead to local changes in pressure, which would cause the intermediate ceiling to crack and pieces of concrete to fall.

The car tunnel is approximately 16.9 kilometers long and is a key transit point for freight traffic.

This closure takes place in the context of one section of the Gotthard Base Tunnel a

was also closed for a month after a freight train derailed.

According to the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB), the train damaged 7km of track, causing “enormous damage”.

SBB does not yet give forecasts regarding the duration of repair works. However, the railway company expects that partial operation of passenger transportation will be possible from the beginning of 2024.

The rest of the base tunnel, as well as the so-called spine tunnel, are still accessible to trains.

The department explains that the breakdowns are due to voltage drops in the mountain.

The Swiss tunnel was ready in 2016, after 17 years of work and an investment of 12 billion dollars.

The opening was attended by top politicians: Angela Merkel, Francois Hollande and Matteo Renzi.

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