Gotthard Pass road to close for winter on Thursday

The Gotthard Pass road will close to traffic at 8 a.m. on Thursday because of weather conditions and safety concerns, SRF reported.

The winter closure will apply between Hospental in the canton of Uri and Airolo on the Ticino side. The Swiss Federal Roads Office (Astra) agreed the closure with Uri’s Office for the Operation of National Roads.

Until the full closure takes effect, the road will remain closed nightly from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. The hiking and cycling route through the Schöllenen gorge has been closed since Monday.

The Susten and Furka passes are also closed for winter. The Oberalp and Klausen passes remain open to traffic until further notice, Uri’s building department said.