Besso pedestrian underpass inaugurated

The Department of Territory (DT), Swiss Federal Railways (SBB Ltd), the City of Lugano and the Regional Transport Commission of the Lugano Area (CRTL) announce that the new Besso pedestrian underpass was inaugurated this morning at Lugano SBB Station.

Participating in the official inauguration ceremony were the President of the Council of State and Director in charge of the Construction Division, Norman Gobbi, the Mayor of Lugano, Michele Foletti, the Director of SBB Ltd Southern Region, Roberta Cattaneo, and the President of the Grand Council, Fabio Schnellmann.

For the occasion, access to the infrastructure was opened to the entire population, who have the opportunity to visit it in preview until 8 p.m. today. The underpass will subsequently be accessible following the timetable change on the upcoming 14 December.

Thanks to its location, the new Besso pedestrian underpass connects the upper part of the city (Besso Alta) with its lower part (Bertaccio Park), while also providing direct access—via new stairways and comfortable lifts—to the platforms of Lugano SBB Station, the new bus interchange hub, the Besso parking garage and, in particular, the future underground stop of the Lugano tram-train network.

During his speech at today’s inauguration, the President of the Council of State Norman Gobbi recalled that Lugano SBB Station is “one of the main mobility hubs in Ticino and has for years been the object of planning supported by significant cantonal investments promoted by the Department of Territory for a more modern and sustainable mobility. The projects, developed in synergy with the City of Lugano, SBB and the Regional Transport Commission, aim to reorganise the intermodal hub and the road system around the station, strengthening public transport and reinforcing the role of Lugano as an attractive urban centre for the entire region.”

For his part, the Mayor of Lugano, Michele Foletti, emphasised how “The new underpass does not represent a point of arrival, but a fundamental milestone for the future of mobility in the agglomeration. Thanks to the connection with the future underground tram-train station, it constitutes a central element of the Lugano station interchange hub, ensuring coordinated and efficient access to the SBB network and to road-based public transport. Today the underpass reunites Besso and Lugano, stitching together the upper and lower parts of the city. What in the 19th century had divided, today becomes the place of a new passage, more comfortable and more accessible. This passage does not belong only to those who travel by train. It is infrastructure at the service of passengers and commuters, of those who from Besso will reach the centre on foot, of those crossing it on their way to work or school, and of all who will integrate it into their daily routes.”

The Director of SBB Ltd Southern Region, Roberta Cattaneo, took the opportunity to recall that for SBB, Lugano Station is the main station in terms of daily passenger numbers. She then added: “We are proud to say that throughout these four years and four months of works, trains and travellers continued to pass almost without noticing the large construction site beneath them. And from today the station appears even more beautiful, accessible and modern – also thanks to the new timetable board recently installed in the main hall.”

Finally, the President of the Grand Council, Fabio Schnellmann, recalled that “The new infrastructure is part of the broader renewal project of the station area, which foresees, alongside other works already underway, the direct connection to the Lugano stop of the Lugano tram-train network, one of the main strategic projects promoted by the Canton of Ticino for the future of mobility.”

The new underpass
With its more than 100 metres in length over two levels, 11 metres in width and in some places even 5 metres in height, the new underpass stands out for its modernity and generous spaces—allowing an immediate and orderly perception of volumes and environments—and will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 users per day. The abundant natural light and openings towards the outside make the passage even more functional and comfortable. On the side facing the city, three commercial spaces have been created: a kiosk and two takeaway food outlets, which will open on 14 December.

The construction works, lasting just over four years, required considerable technical and engineering effort. Throughout all phases of the construction site, important temporary structures were built to ensure railway, road and bus traffic, minimise inconvenience and allow continuity of operations. For example, the 40-metre-long and 6.5-metre-wide temporary bridge projecting over Via Maraini made it possible to carry out excavation works without obstructing the circulation of buses and service vehicles in the Station Square area. To proceed with the excavation, in the summer of 2022 a 600-tonne service building—protected for its historical and architectural importance—was also moved 40 metres. These significant achievements were made possible thanks to the commitment and professionalism of the workers involved.

Costs and financing
The total cost of the infrastructure, amounting to around 60 million francs, was financed by the Canton, the City of Lugano, the municipalities of the Regional Transport Commission of the Lugano Area and the Confederation, according to the cost-sharing scheme of the first-generation Agglomeration Programmes, for a total of 50 million francs; an additional 10 million francs were contributed by SBB for the components under its responsibility.

The StazLu1 project
Lugano SBB Station is one of the main mobility hubs in Ticino. For several years, the surrounding area has been the subject of intensive planning, with numerous interconnected projects developed in synergy among various partners, including the Department of Territory, the City of Lugano and SBB. In particular, the StazLu1 project provides for the reorganisation of road access in the station area, with the aim of adapting mobility infrastructure to the needs of a modern and attractive public transport hub.

Specifically, further interventions are planned in the coming years: an underground parking facility, an intermodal hub for all regional and municipal lines, a new road underpass and works related to road mobility to improve access to the station.

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