Flagship Projects
Support for the Gotthard Damage Prevention Unit
Nothing is left to chance when transporting heavy loads
«Every day in Switzerland, the highway network sees the transportation of particularly heavy goods. Our specialist engineers ensure these transports are managed safely and efficiently, offering route clarifications and a range of other services.»
From construction machinery and turbines to entire bridge sections, the Swiss national road network often accommodates special transportation. Such operations always demand detailed planning and preparatory work. In collaboration with the Gotthard Damage Control Unit, Lombardi plays a crucial role as an interface for these complex journeys.
Large, heavy and requiring permits, the transportation of heavy goods on the Swiss national road network demands extensive preliminary checks. This ensures that transports are conducted both efficiently and safely.
The Gotthard Damage Prevention Unit, responsible for issuing special permits, works closely with Lombardi. Our team assists in assessing the navigability of transports along the Gotthard and supports the Gotthard Damage Prevention Authority with technical expertise and various engineering services.
At our Göschenen site, Lombardi's team of three specialist engineers handles up to 10,000 applications annually. For heavy goods transport applications, they evaluate the structural safety of relevant highway sections, among other things. Lombardi also serves as a liaison between multiple stakeholders: the Federal Roads Office, project offices, transport companies, cantonal civil engineering and road traffic offices and the police. Our role extends to advancing mathematical models and digital tools for bridge navigability assessment on the national road network.
The effort is always worthwhile, as highlighted by the the Gotthard Damage Prevention Unit’s experience with extraordinary transports. A notable instance was the movement of a 275-tonne turbine from the Göschenen power plant to the Lucerne region for maintenance. The 60-metre-long transport’s routing was particularly challenging, especially due to several older bridges with limited load-bearing capacities along the way. However, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Lombardi and the Schadenwehr Gotthard team, this complex transport was successfully and safely executed.
Competences
- Engineering Expert Witness and Advisory Service
2259
Kilometers - Length of the Swiss motorway network (as of 2022)
431
Tons - Maximum weight of a heavy transport
89.75
Meters - Maximum length of a heavy transport
4’000
Number of structures considered by the Gotthard Damage Prevention Authority
Lat: 46.66722
Lng: 8.58923
Göschenen
«Heavy goods vehicles are a constant presence on the Swiss national road network. Working in tandem with our colleagues from the Gotthard Damage Prevention Unit, we are committed to ensuring that even the most challenging transports are safely delivered to their destinations.» Mattia Scanzio
