Mont Blanc Tunnel closure postponed

Much to the relief of hauliers, the closure of the Mont Blanc tunnel has been postponed indefinitely.

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The tunnel had been due to close on Monday, but after a landslide caused the closure of the Frejus tunnel to traffic, French and Italian authorities have agreed to keep the Mont Blanc route open.

It isn’t known precisely how long the postponement will be.

According to Reuters, the expectation is that the tunnel could remain open for just a few more days, or possibly as long as another year. It is reported that the Italian transport ministry believe the latter is more likely.

The outcome of the final decision is expected to be made public next week.

As we recently reported, long queues of lorries amassed at the Mont Blanc tunnel earlier this week as a result of the problems at the Frejus tunnel.

Given the limited number of routes across the alps from Italy into France, the closure of the Mont Blanc tunnel would likely have resulted in lengthy and expensive detours via the A8.

Meanwhile, France’s Transport Minister is said to be hopeful that the Frejus tunnel could open next week.


Photo: Jesper Bøtker Mortensen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons