The world’s second deepest tunnel shall be closed for renovations.
Driving between France and Italy this 12 months? Chances are you’ll be pressured take a detour because the Mont-Blanc Tunnel, which hyperlinks the 2 nations beneath the Alps, is closing for 15 weeks for renovation work.
Between 2 September and 16 December, a 600-metre stretch of the 11-kilometre tunnel shall be fully reconstructed. Throughout this time, the Tunnel du Mont-Blanc shall be closed to visitors.
Different routes can be found however they’ll probably add to your journey time. Right here’s methods to plan your Europe highway journey round this autumn’s closure.
Why is the Mont-Blanc Tunnel closing?
Opened in 1965, the Mont-Blanc freeway tunnel hyperlinks Chamonix in Haute Savoie, southeast France, with Courmayer in Aosta Valley, northwest Italy.
It’s a part of the north-south European route E25, which runs from the Hook of Holland all the way down to the ferry crossing from Cagliari to Palermo in Sicily.
Mendacity 2,480 metres beneath the Aiguille du Midi summit, it’s the world’s second deepest tunnel in operation after Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel.
Numerous closures have taken place all through 2024 to permit for upkeep work, security drills and renovation.
This autumn’s closure is scheduled for structural renovation work on the vault. Will probably be one of many first main European tunnels to undertake deep renovation work on its construction.
Between 5pm on 2 September and 5pm on 16 December, totally different reconstruction applied sciences shall be examined on two 300 metre stretches of the tunnel.
Essentially the most environment friendly and efficient strategies may then be utilized to a further 600 metre part throughout one other closure in 2025 – and additional works alongside the tunnel’s total size within the coming years.
Alternate options to the Mont-Blanc Tunnel
Throughout the Mont-Blanc Tunnel closure, it can nonetheless be potential to drive between France and Italy on totally different routes.
Though these could lengthen your journey time, they might prevent cash: the one-way toll for a automobile use to the Mont-Blanc tunnel is €51.50 whereas a return is €64.20.
Round 160 km south of the Mont-Blanc Tunnel, the Fréjus Tunnel connects Modane in France to Bardonecchia in Italy. It’s barely cheaper to make use of, with a one-way journey for automobiles costing €47 and a return €57. Heavy items automobiles shall be diverted to this route through the closure.
Toll fee subscriptions together with the TMB card and Eurotoll cowl each tunnels beneath the identical cross. Multi-journey low cost passes legitimate through the Mont-Blanc Tunnel closure will robotically be prolonged by 4 months.
Alternatively, the Tunnel du Grand-Saint-Bernard hyperlinks Martigny in Valais, Switzerland, with Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses in Italy’s Aosta Valley. The one-way toll for a automobile is €31.
Positioned additional southwest, the Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard is a mountain cross linking Savoie in France with Aosta Valley. Nonetheless, it may face closures as a consequence of heavy snow, so test the climate earlier than planning your route.
To the north, the Col des Montets mountain cross, linking Chamonix with Vallorcine in France – on the border with Valais – is one other route that might be hit by snow closures.
The Tunnel des Montets, a single monitor railway tunnel that doubles as a highway, can generally be used when the cross is closed however it’s more likely to face heavy visitors.
The scenic Mont Cenis cross between the Cottian Alps in France and the Graian Alps in Italy is usually open to visitors till November, when it closes for the winter season.
The Montgenèvre Go connecting Briançon in France and Cesana Torinese in Italy is an alternative choice for highway journey additional south of the Tunnel du Mont-Blanc.
