Graubünden builds bigger, more expensive, longer
Anyone driving through Graubünden after Easter will need patience. This year there are 128 roadworks on 1360 kilometers of cantonal road. That's one every ten kilometers. Sounds like a lot, but it's less than in 2025, when 174 roadworks were still slowing down traffic at the same time. However, the projects are getting bigger, more complex and more expensive. Graubünden is not building less, it is building differently.
128 construction sites do not mean relief, but concentration. Instead of many small interventions, the focus in 2026 will be on complex infrastructure projects that require more manpower, longer construction times and higher budgets. Traffic light systems will be used at 67 of the 128 construction sites to guide traffic through in an orderly fashion. The Graubünden Civil Engineering Office has set clear priorities.
La Punt freed from through traffic
The largest project is the La Punt bypass in the Engadin. In future, a 584-metre-long tunnel will run under the village center and a 55-metre-long bridge will cross the Inn. The total costs amount to 80 million Swiss francs and the construction period is eight years until 2033. After the ground-breaking ceremony in September 2025, the preliminary cuts in the Arvins area will be made in 2026. It is a relief for La Punt and a leap in quality for the Engadin.
New tunnel for the Surselva
Between Disentis and Curaglia, a new 500-metre-long tunnel will replace the dilapidated Las Ruinas tunnel and its two galleries. The work will take three years and traffic will remain in operation throughout the construction period. As the new tunnel runs directly next to the existing one in some places, night-time closures are unavoidable. An intervention that requires consideration, but is necessary.
malix five years of work before completion
On the Julierstrasse between Chur and Malix, the signs are pointing to the finale. The section lies in a landslide area and has been stabilized, widened and straightened over five years. The final work should be completed by July. As a visible sign of the new start, the section will be given a cycle lane. A project that was born out of necessity and ends up as a modern stretch of road.
infrastructure as an investment
Graubünden’s 2026 construction season shows that infrastructure is not a matter of course. Operating 1360 kilometers of cantonal roads through alpine terrain, landslide areas and flood zones requires continuous investment. Fewer construction sites, larger projects – this is not a cost-cutting exercise, but a strategic decision for sustainable quality.