Switzerland stands on the route linking northern and southern Europe, but the Alps made transit difficult until tunnels were built through them. The Gotthard railway tunnel, 15 km (9.3 miles) long, was built more than 100 years ago. The Gotthard road tunnel, opened in 1980, was the longest in the world at 16.5 km (10 miles) until Norway's Laerdal tunnel (24.5 km/15 miles) opened in November 2000.

Switzerland's position as a transit country has exposed it to ever increasing amounts of freight traffic. As Europe moves closer together, frontiers are no longer a barrier to trade. As a result, the road network is coming under heavy pressure, and gigantic queues build up, especially on the Gotthard route.

The situation is at its worst during the vacation season in western Europe, when sunseeking holidaymakers join the lines of trucks with their cars and caravans.