Every year, the Gotthard Tunnel is closed in March/April (1 week), June (2 weeks), and September/October (3-4 weeks) for 26 nights. Until October, the tunnel is therefore scheduled to be closed to traffic on Monday to Friday nights, from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM.

The nighttime closures are primarily aimed at carrying out work in the traffic space: cleaning tunnel walls, lighting systems, SOS niches, ventilation channels, and other facilities. Minor structural repairs are carried out where necessary, and maintenance work on operational and safety systems is also performed, during which the condition of these equipment is assessed.