Spiga Set To Close; Tram Ticket Prices Rise; Margarethen Bridge Plans Expanded

News For 12 December 2023

Popular and prominent restaurant Spiga, the pasta and pizza outlet directly adjacent to the Mittlerbrucke will call it quits at the end of January 2024.  Apparently, the restaurant has been struggling to recover customers after the initial wave of corona in early 2020.  SV Group, the owner of the restaurant is hoping to redeploy the 14 employees internally to other company restaurants.

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The new tariff schedule for the Northwest Switzerland Tariff Association went into effect last Sunday.  The increases are the first since 2016, and were announced earlier this year in April.  Fares for short-distance travel will increase from 1.80 to 2 francs, zone-wide tram and bus tickets will increase in price from 2.60 to 2.90.  It's not all bad news, however. The tickets now are eligible for use on returns to the origin of travel during the time in force for single and multi-trip tickets.

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You may recall that the Margarethenbridge overpass which connects Gundeli to the neighborhood near Markthalle and the SBB has been closed to tram and commercial traffic due to safety concerns.  As part of the rehabilitation work that is required, additional construction is now planned to provide pedestrian access to the train tracks below.  In addition, the bridge will be widened to create tram stops and allow better passage for bicycles on bicycle lanes.  Timetables for resumption of #2 tram service in March, 2024 have not changed in light of the new construction plans.