Swissgrid is to build a new power line between All’Acqua in the Bedretto Valley and Magadino. The project was developed in cooperation with authorities and infrastructure managers. The new lines will replace the current ones, which are undersized and nearing the end of their life cycle. Once the other projects in the region have also been completed, it will be possible to remove more than 70 km of power lines, which will lessen the impact on valuable landscapes and residential areas.

For the first time, an extra-high voltage line will be bundled with a national road tunnel. At the time of its planned commissioning, the approximately 18-kilometre-long Gotthard line will be the longest underground extra-high voltage line in Switzerland. The 220-kV overhead line over the Gotthard Pass was erected in the 1930s and requires a complete overhaul in the coming years. Carrying out this overhaul during construction of the second section of the Gotthard Road Tunnel gives Swissgrid the opportunity to create several synergies, including renewing the 220-kV line between Göschenen and Airolo, bundling the infrastructure inside the road tunnel, and further protecting the landscape in the surroundings of the tunnel.

The 27-kilometre-long line section between Innertkirchen (BE) and Ulrichen (VS) is to be replaced and increased from 220 to 380 kilovolts. The Federal Council has defined the planning corridor with extensive underground cabling between In-nertkirchen and Oberwald. The multifunctional Grimselbahn tunnel is an underground cable variant.

Swissgrid is planning to replace the existing 220 kV line between Niederwil and Obfelden, which is around 17 kilometres long, with a 380 kV line. The new line will make a significant contribution to the security of supply in Central Switzerland, where the conurbations of Aargau, Zurich and Lucerne are located. The chosen planning corridor allows for a line routing that is much further from residential areas. Once the new line is in operation, it will be possible to dismantle the existing line, thereby significantly reducing the visual impact on these areas.

Swissgrid is upgrading the 150-kilovolt line between Samstagern, Thalwil, Waldegg (Zurich) and Obfelden to 220 kilovolts (kV) in stages. By doing so, Swissgrid will strengthen the security of supply for the city of Zurich and the western shore of Lake Zurich in the long term.