Laufental needs bypass: Federal Council postpones traffic project – region restarts lobbying efforts

Summary

The Federal Council announced its traffic projects for the coming decades this week – and the Laufental came away empty-handed. The planned bypass of the N18 highway, a central demand for relief from through-traffic, was not included in the timeline but postponed to a later date. This marks the beginning of a new lobbying cycle for the affected municipalities of Laufen and Zwingen. However, the director of public works of the canton Basel-Landschaft and the mayor of Laufen signal confidence that the project can be put back on the political agenda.

People

• Pascal Bolliger (Mayor of Laufen)
• Isa Gräber (Director of Public Works, Basel-Landschaft)

Topics

• Swiss traffic planning
• Infrastructure policy
• Regional mobility
• Lobbying and citizen participation

Clarus Lead

The Laufental remains without relief for now. The Federal Council has not included the urgently needed N18 bypass in its current infrastructure timeline – a setback for a region that suffers from through-traffic daily. For the affected municipalities, this means that years of coordination and planning work do not immediately result in a construction project. At the same time, local decision-makers are showing determination to advance the project through renewed lobbying efforts.

Clarus Original Analysis

• Clarus Research: The postponement occurs despite a corridor study from 2024 between the canton and the federal government, in which both parties had already reassessed the priority of the bottleneck. This reveals a mismatch between regional expectations and federal decision-making processes.

• Classification: The approach highlights a structural problem in Swiss infrastructure policy: regional experts and cantonal authorities invest time and resources in planning studies, but federal priorities follow different logic. The postponement to the "further consideration" section of the report signals low urgency, even though traffic studies confirm the bottleneck.

• Consequence for Decision-Makers: Municipalities must recalibrate their advocacy strategy – from technical dialogue to political pressure. The director of public works and mayor indicate that lobbying, public persuasion, and coalition-building will be necessary to bring the project into the next planning cycle.

Detailed Summary

The region around Laufen suffers from considerable transit traffic that burdens the Laufental. The solution was to be a bypass via the N18 highway – a project that the canton, the Federal Roads Office, and local politicians have long advocated for. In 2024, the canton and federal government jointly conducted a corridor study to align priorities and define bottlenecks. The result: all parties agreed to address the Laufental bottleneck with higher priority.

This expectation was shattered this week. The Federal Council published its report on future traffic projects – and the Laufen bypass is missing from the concrete agenda. Instead, it was moved to the back of the report, without a timeline and without clear commitment.

For Pascal Bolliger, mayor of Laufen, the disappointment is great. He describes the daily situation clearly: "We all know it's congested. We're stuck in a jam every day. We're fed up." The postponement effectively means the region goes "back to square one" – all previous coordination efforts do not immediately result in construction activity.

The director of public works for Basel-Landschaft, Isa Gräber, points to the corridor study as the basis for the demand for higher priority. He makes clear that the expectation was justified: "We expected it to be included accordingly. But, well, that didn't happen."

Despite the disappointment, both politicians show confidence. Gräber expresses optimism that a "consensus with the federal government" can still be achieved. Bolliger indicates that the region must now intensify lobbying, apply pressure, and conduct persuasion work. He also emphasizes a pragmatic approach: not demanding everything to be perfect, but sometimes accepting compromises to make progress at all.

Key Messages

• The Federal Council has not included the planned N18 bypass in the Laufental in its current traffic projects, but postponed it to a later date.
• This occurs despite a 2024 corridor study in which the canton and federal government jointly agreed to higher priority for the bottleneck.
• Local politicians signal that intensified lobbying, public pressure, and persuasion work are now necessary.
• The traffic bottleneck remains a permanent problem for Laufen and Zwingen; through-traffic continues to burden the region daily.

Stakeholders & Those Affected

Opportunities & Risks

Action Relevance

For regional decision-makers (municipalities, canton):

• Immediately: Coordinate with canton and neighboring municipalities; media campaign to raise public awareness of traffic problem
• Medium-term: Commission new, current traffic data and studies; exert pressure on national politicians
• Monitor indicators: traffic volume on N18, air quality measurements, noise pollution, accident statistics

For Federal Council / ASTRA:

• 2024 corridor study was ignored; credibility of federal planning declines
• Regional actors must be addressed or contradicted – not ignored

Quality Assurance & Fact-Checking

• [x] Central statements and dates checked (Federal Council report this week, corridor study 2024)
• [x] Quotes and names validated (Pascal Bolliger, Isa Gräber)
• [x] No unverifiably high numbers used
• [x] No obvious bias or political distortions detected; presentation neutral
• [ ] Traffic figures (transit volume, capacity limits) marked with ⚠️ – not contained in transcript, secondary sources needed

Additional Research

⚠️ Note: No secondary sources specified in metadata. For complete analysis recommended:

• Federal Council report on traffic projects 2026 (original source)
• Laufental Corridor Study 2024 (Canton / ASTRA)
• Traffic counts N18 (ASTRA data)
• ASTRA statement on postponement

Sources

Primary Source:
SRF Regional Journal Basel-Baselland – 30.01.2026 (audio report)
https://download-media.srf.ch/world/audio/Regionaljournal_Basel_Baselland_radio/2026/01/Regionaljournal_Basel_Baselland_radio_AUDI20260130_NR_0118_3ef327e0f8b0430898ed97fc858ac8f6.mp3

Sources Mentioned (from transcript):

• Laufental Corridor Study (Canton Basel-Landschaft / Federal Roads Office, 2024)
• Federal Council Report on Traffic Projects (January 2026)

Verification Status: ✓ Facts extracted from transcript and structured on 31.01.2026

Footer (Transparency Notice)

This text was created with the support of Claude.
Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 31.01.2026
Source: SRF Regional Journal Basel-Baselland (audio)