The Rheinfelden highway border crossing between Germany and Switzerland has reopened. The important connection was closed in both directions for several hours on Wednesday.
The closure was triggered by the inspection of a vehicle with German registration upon entry at around 1 p.m. During this inspection, explosives detection dogs alerted to the vehicle. Police subsequently cleared a designated hazard zone, called in specialized units from the Federal Police, and closed the entire border crossing as a precautionary measure.
The closure did not affect the small town border or the Old Rhine Bridge in Rheinfelden. The closure affected the major highway border crossing between the German A861 and the Swiss A3.
Both passenger vehicles and trucks use this crossing. The closure therefore had direct impacts on freight traffic between Germany and Switzerland.
Multi-kilometer traffic backups formed on both sides of the border. In addition to Rheinfelden, the highway routes and access roads toward Basel and Pratteln were also affected.
At around 8 p.m., police gave the all-clear. No dangerous substances were found in the inspected vehicle. The closures in both directions were lifted at 8:00 p.m.
According to police, the two vehicle occupants with German nationality were provisionally arrested. More detailed information about the background was not initially available.
During the operation, traffic was redirected to alternative border crossings. Alternatives mentioned included Grenzach-Wyhlen and Bad Säckingen. However, for heavy freight traffic, smaller crossing points are not always a viable solution.