Photo credits @ Poudou99, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Frejus Tunnel closure extended until end of 2024

After a major landslide in August 2023, the Frejus Tunnel, a crucial rail link connecting France and Italy, will not reopen until the end of 2024, according to numerous media reports in France.

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An operation to remove 1,000 cubic meters of unstable rocks from the Praz cliff in the Maurienne valley began on November 5, 2023, and is expected to continue until at least early summer 2024, with potential variations due to geological and weather conditions.

Yesterday, Olivier Thevenet, vice president of the departmental council responsible for infrastructure, told the media:

“This is the first step. It is tedious work. It will take until the summer, early summer of 2024. These are deadlines to be taken with caution depending on the geology and meteorology; these deadlines may vary.”

The A43 motorway was temporarily closed for several hours between Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Le Freney to facilitate this work.

The reopening of the Frejus Tunnel is now expected by the end of 2024, with the restoration of the affected railway line potentially extending into early 2025.

Meanwhile, the closure of the Mont Blanc tunnel for maintenance has resulted in increased heavy vehicle traffic at the Frejus Tunnel. While traffic congestion has been observed at the border with France, there have been no significant disruptions to traffic flow on Turin’s ring roads, according to data from the prefecture of Turin.


Photo credits @ Poudou99, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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