A13 motorway (Switzerland)
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Location of the A13 in Switzerland
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| Length: | 195 km (121 mi) |
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| Motorways of Switzerland | |
The A13 is a motorway, at times an Autostrasse (expressway), which runs from St. Margrethen in northeastern Switzerland through to Ascona in southern Switzerland, crossing the main chain of the Alps in the Grisons area. It is the southern half of European route E43.
The A13 started life as a road which was mainly an expressway, from the foggy beginnings at St. Margrethen through to Haag, opposite Liechtenstein. The motorway would begin from Haag through Reichenau. Then it would be an expressway again until after Mesocco. The final kilometres linking it from Roveredo to the A2 motorway would be an expressway. Today, the section from St. Margrethen through Haag has been thoroughly converted to a motorway. Due to the tough terrain, the transformation of the Graubünden section into a full motorway would be difficult.
The route is challenging south of Chur, capital of the Grisons. The year round opening of the route only became possible in 1967, when the San-Bernardino tunnel was built, including the approaching branches of the A13. Therefore it sometimes appears to be more of a widened mountain road rather than a motorway or an expressway. For the whole of the ramps towards the culmination at San-Bernardino tunnel, between Thusis and Soazza, there is no central structure to separate the two carriageway directions; each lane is about 50% larger than on a main road, and overtaking (using part of the carriageway reserved for the other direction) is actually allowed where signposted. The expressway finds its way through the Alps by means of the San Bernardino tunnel, which is 6.6 km (4.1 mi) in length. It also passes the Viamala gorge, where nocturnal shows tell the story of 2000 years of road construction through this obstacle (summer only).
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