I understand the 30 min back seat truck drive isn't for everyone but a nice run of 9 large trucks up and over the pass. These drivers took what I take to be the old road but there was a lot more capacity on that slope. If you felt virtual kinetic pressure from across the valley and above you have good instincts, artillery fortresses Foppa and San Carlos are along the route....you may recognize the interchange on the route from the perspective of Foppa"s Artillery and mortar positions. The large Gotthard Fortress/ Schloss lurks below the mountain in addition to the many firing positions ( some of many little barns on the hillside) as well as mobile mortars and artillery. No doubt the roads and tunnels will move when directed
There is the Gotthard Tunnel as well and this type of infrastructure is not unique to just this area. The culture of service is interwoven in with their society making things possible that would be difficult elsewhere.
Image from Foppa.
Image closer to where I lived in Graubunden Canton, they always said the roads, tunnels and bridges were active.