Small earthquake near the construction site of the second Gotthard tunnel

On Monday evening, 16 February 2026, shortly after 10 p.m., the Swiss Seismological Service (SED) at ETH Zurich recorded a magnitude 2.1 earthquake in the Göschenen/Andermatt (UR) region. The quake occurred at a shallow depth, in the immediate vicinity of the current drilling position of the northern construction site of the second Gotthard tunnel. It is very likely related to the redistribution of mountain stresses caused by the tunnel construction work. The SED therefore classifies the earthquake as induced (caused by humans). 

The SED received around 30 reports of the earthquake on Monday. All of them came from the immediate vicinity of the municipality of Andermatt. There, the quake was perceived as a strong tremor, accompanied by a loud bang. The relatively clear perceptions are due to the shallow depth and the occurrence of the quake during the night, when it is generally quieter and people are more alert. The earthquake is classified as having a macroseismic intensity of IV. No damage has been reported, nor is any to be expected from a quake of this magnitude. 

Small earthquakes caused by stress redistribution in mining and tunnel construction are not unusual and are known to miners. These events usually have very low magnitudes and are generally not perceptible on the surface, but under certain circumstances they can cause local damage to the tunnel tube. Earthquakes that are perceptible on the surface, such as the one on 16 February, are therefore the exception. The SED will continue to closely monitor seismic activity in the area. 

Since the end of 2024, the SED has been monitoring the construction of the second tube of the Gotthard Road Tunnel on behalf of the Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) along the entire tunnel axis. To this end, the SED has densified the seismic network locally. The aim is to locate and explain small seismic events that could occur in connection with the work as accurately as possible. After detecting such earthquakes, the SED automatically alerts FEDRO and the construction managers to support them in ensuring the safe operation of the tunnel construction sites. As a result of the alert triggered by Monday's earthquake, FEDRO inspected the tunnel tubes. No safety-related impacts were found.