Inauguration of the Besso Underpass: a new backbone for mobility in Lugano

On 11 December 2025, the new Besso Underpass was officially inaugurated in the presence of all parties involved in the project: the SBB, the City of Lugano, the Canton of Ticino and CSC Costruzioni. The project marks a key milestone for regional mobility and represents one of the most significant infrastructure interventions in the heart of the city in recent years.

The project, carried out by the Sottopass Bess Consortium, composed of CSC Costruzioni SA (lead contractor), Implenia SA and Matteo Muttoni SA, has made it possible to transform Lugano station into an even more accessible, modern and better-integrated mobility hub.

An engineering achievement serving the community

Since January 2022, CSC Costruzioni has coordinated a highly complex worksite, operating within a fully functioning railway infrastructure and ensuring the uninterrupted operation of the four tracks, four platforms, the cantonal road Via Maraini and bus traffic on the terrace.

This result was made possible thanks to four technicians dedicated full-time for three years and, during peak periods, the involvement of sixty workers from the consortium, working continuously, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

The works required the installation of nine temporary bridges, used to keep rail and road flows active during the most critical phases. Execution also included particularly delicate operations, such as the relocation of a protected historic building, which was first moved approximately forty metres north and then thirty metres south, allowing the completion of the new structures without compromising the existing architectural heritage.

Between December 2023 and February 2024, the removal of the temporary railway bridges represented a decisive phase of the project, carried out in close collaboration with the SBB and planned to minimise the impact on travellers.

The figures behind the project

The new Besso Underpass is the result of intensive technical work, involving the use of 7,500 cubic metres of concrete, 1,500 tonnes of reinforcing steel, 6,000 metres of anchors, 15,000 metres of micropiles, and 35,000 cubic metres of excavation.

These figures illustrate the scale and complexity of the intervention, which was carried out while continuously ensuring the operation of the main rail and road infrastructures.

Key phases in 2024 and 2025

In 2024, works focused on the southern end of the underpass. The relocation of existing substructures, the construction of Berlin-type retaining walls and the installation of temporary bridges made it possible to keep traffic flowing along Via Maraini while excavation and concrete works progressed.

Between 2024 and 2025, the removal of temporary structures, the final reinstatement of the cantonal road and the completion of the structural works marked the progressive transformation of the construction site into an operational infrastructure.

An infrastructure ready for users

In 2025, interior finishes were completed, preparing the opening of a wider, clearer and safer connection designed to accommodate growing pedestrian flows and integrate harmoniously with future developments in regional mobility.

The new Besso Underpass not only improves accessibility and connectivity but also contributes meaningfully to the quality of life of the population, reinforcing Lugano’s role as a centre of modern, sustainable and interconnected mobility.