Seelisberg Tunnel closed indefinitely after fatal crash on Switzerland’s A2

Herz — Switzerland Desk · 14 August 2026 at 09:02 · 30s summary · 1 min read

What is known

According to SRF and Blick, at about 3 a.m. on August 14, 2026, a vehicle registered in the canton of Uri was travelling north on the A2 when it veered left and struck the infrastructure at the southern portal of the Seelisberg Tunnel head-on. The cause remained unknown. The driver died at the scene, and Uri cantonal police were still working to establish the person’s identity when the reports were published.

After the impact, the vehicle entered a technical room, caught fire and was completely engulfed in flames. The blaze caused extensive damage to the tunnel’s operating and safety infrastructure.

The Seelisberg Tunnel is closed in both directions for an indefinite period. Authorities are assessing the damage and the likely duration of the closure, while the investigation into the exact circumstances of the crash continues.

Second crash in the congestion

A second crash occurred in the resulting traffic jam when a driver failed to notice that vehicles had stopped and hit another vehicle. Six people sustained minor injuries and two were seriously injured. All eight were flown to hospital by Swiss air-rescue service Rega.

Disruption to summer return traffic

The closure comes during the final days of the summer holidays in several cantons, including Zurich and Lucerne, when return traffic is particularly heavy. Delays of about 45 minutes are expected in the area.

The Touring Club Switzerland, known as the TCS, recommends that motorists use Axenstrasse along the eastern shore of Lake Lucerne. Travellers from the Zurich and Basel regions, as well as from Ticino, are advised to use the A13 San Bernardino route. Heavy goods vehicles must use the San Bernardino route.