Arch of the monastery St. Ursula

The direct route of the road built by Napoleon over the Simplon originally bypassed Brig and led from the church of Glis with a bridge over the Saltina Gorge on a direct route to Ried-Brig. However, this section of road was of no great significance in terms of transport policy: the Simplon traffic ran through the old town of Brig. The increased traffic volume led to precarious conditions in Brig in the fifties of the 20th century. The direct link between Glis and Napoleon Bridge was to be classified and turned into a bypass. In 1954, Brig issued a white paper opposing this plan and built the New Simplon Road along the Saltina on municipal territory.