Swiss voters largely remain opposed to restarting previously rejected highway expansion projects, according to a new poll released by the Transport and environment Association. The survey, conducted following the publication of the “Transports’45” report, indicates 58% of Swiss citizens do not want the federal Council to revisit the six highway projects voted down in November 2024. As the government prepares to outline infrastructure priorities through 2045,the findings underscore continued public concern over balancing road construction with sustainable transportation alternatives.
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A majority of Swiss voters – 58% – do not want the Federal Council to revive any of the six highway expansion projects that were rejected in a popular vote last fall. This finding comes from a recent poll commissioned by the Transport and Environment Association (ATE) following the publication of the Weidmann “Transports’45” report and conducted by Demoscope in November 2025 with 1007 participants. The release of this opinion survey is part of ATE’s effort to maintain pressure on the Federal Council.
The government has pledged to announce in January the broad outlines of a project it will put out for consultation, with the goal of establishing priorities through 2045 in the areas of rail, roads, and urban traffic. ATE fears the government may reconsider some of the highway improvements voters rejected on November 24, 2024, by a margin of 52.7%.
One year later, on October 9, 2025, several projects were identified as priorities in a report by Professor Ulrich Weidmann of the ETH Zurich. The expansion of the Wankdorf-Schönbühl section, a critical bottleneck near Bern, is considered urgent. The report also states that the Rhine tunnel would “significantly reduce transit and bypass traffic congestion for the city of Basel.”
However, the Nyon-Le Vengeron section was not prioritized, with the report now recommending the use of the shoulder lane to increase capacity. This decision highlights the ongoing debate in Switzerland regarding infrastructure investment and sustainable transportation solutions.
