Major changes at the Swiss-French border. Trucks redirected to Vallorbe
The G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains will bring significant disruptions to transport operations at the Swiss-French border. From 15 to 17 June, access via the A1 motorway to the Bardonnex customs platform from the Canton of Vaud will be closed, and trucks will be directed to use, among others, the Vallorbe border crossing.
Due to the G7 Summit taking place in Évian-les-Bains, France, from 15 to 17 June, the authorities of the Canton of Geneva will introduce substantial traffic restrictions at the Swiss-French border. The measures will affect, among other routes, the A1 motorway leading to the Bardonnex customs platform, one of the most important clearance points for international freight transport in the region. The most significant restrictions will be in force from 15 June at 00:01 until 17 June at 23:59.
During this period, the section of the A1 motorway leading to the Bardonnex customs platform will be completely closed to vehicles arriving from the Canton of Vaud. Drivers will be required to exit the motorway at the Meyrin, Vernier and Genève-Centre interchanges. Entrance and exit ramps at the Bernex and Perly/Plan-les-Ouates interchanges, as well as the connector road from the La Praille area towards Bardonnex, will also be closed. In addition, on 14 June, from 06:00 to 23:59, the Vengeron–Genève-Lac exit from the A1 motorway will be unavailable.
For the transport industry, the changes affecting heavy goods vehicle traffic are particularly important. International road freight transport arriving from the Canton of Vaud will no longer be able to use the usual access routes to Bardonnex. Authorities recommend redirecting vehicles to the Vallorbe border crossing (Canton of Vaud) or to other crossings located in the Jura region. Customs formalities may also be completed at Ferney and Thônex-Vallard; however, the latter crossing is not recommended due to the need to pass through Geneva and the expected traffic congestion. Swiss authorities warn that very long waiting times should be expected in the Bardonnex area.
At the same time, traffic arriving from France into Switzerland is expected to operate without changes. Customs clearance procedures at the Bardonnex platform will remain available on both the French and Swiss sides. However, the French authorities are preparing a dedicated buffer zone for vehicles waiting to cross the border. As part of the summit security preparations, some border crossings scheduled to be closed during the event will begin to be taken out of service from the afternoon of 11 June. For residents and people who regularly cross the border, a special permit system will also be introduced, along with temporarily extended opening hours at selected secondary border crossings.
