Citing drainage difficulties, the potential for landslides and little tono existing shoulder, officials say the 10-year plan will be completed in stages: The first four stages will run from 2014 to 2016 for the Mosenried to Reichenstein portion of the road, while the roadwork on the Reichenstein to Saanenmöser section will run from 2017 to 2022. 

Road to reconstruction

After a building permit was issued by Canton Bern, preparations on the project began – including the successful acquisition of several thousand square metres of land and the demolition of the old Wegmeister operations center in Mosenried. 

The valley side is the first to be tackled. There, retaining walls will be built and the main body of road repaved. New drainage pipes will be installed to minimize future damage from rain and snow, and the side of the road bordering the mountains will be rebuilt to prevent landslides. The danger of landslides is a real one, given that pollution and damage from vehicles and lorries now cause the slope to slide several millimetres per year. This slippage, along with excess water runoff, is enough buckle the pavement severely.

Work has already begun and the first section is expected to be finished no later than mid-December 2013. The road is being renovated in “halves,” meaning one lane will be sectioned off and worked upon while the other lane supports all traffic. Stoplights on both sides of the stretch of construction mean drivers who encounter green lights will proceed directly, while those that hit red could have a waiting time of up to 10 minutes.