A13 motorway, Motorway in Grisons, Switzerland
The A13 is a motorway stretching roughly 195 kilometers that connects the cantons of Grisons, St. Gallen, and Ticino. It travels through mountainous terrain and crosses varying elevations as it moves southward through the Alps.
The San Bernardino tunnel was completed in 1967 and was a crucial project for the A13, making winter travel through the Alps possible. This tunnel system made the route reliable year-round and connected northern Switzerland to the south continuously.
The A13 displays the language mix of the regions it passes through, with signs in German, Italian, and Romansh visible along the route. Travelers notice how the cultural character shifts as they drive across different cantons.
Vehicles require a Swiss motorway vignette to use the A13, with a speed limit of 120 kilometers per hour on motorway sections. Weather conditions can change quickly in the mountains, especially during winter, so driving carefully is important.
Sections of this motorway can serve as military emergency runways in wartime, equipped with removable barriers and special reinforcements. Drivers typically pass over these areas without knowing about this hidden function.
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