San Bernardino Road / Tunnel

The San Bernardino road to Bellinzona (69 or 76km/43 or 47mi) runs past Splügen, where the road branches off south over the Splügen pass (2,113 m/6,933ft), on the Italian frontier, and continues to Chiavenna, from where one can drive east into the scenic Val Bregaglia.

The road to San Bernardino continues up the Hinterrhein valley. Beyond the valley of Hinterrhein the old road branches off to cross the pass, while the expressway (N 13) passes a parking place (on right: kiosk-restaurant) and over the Hinterrhein, here still quite small, to the northern entrance (1,613 m/5,292ft) of the San Bernardino tunnel (length 6.6km/4mi, width of roadway 7.5 m/25ft, highest point 1,644 m/5,394ft; emergency telephones; maximum speed 80km/h.; 50 m.p.h., overtaking prohibited; toll-free). The tunnel runs in an almost straight line under the pass, emerging just to the west of the village of San Bernardino. The route through the tunnel is 7km/4mi shorter than the road over the pass.