The tunnel of Mont Blanc it will be closed to traffic for just over three months. More precisely, the stop to means of transport will start from 17 pm on 4 September and will last until 22 pm on 18 December 2023. This period of stoppage will be necessary to allow the reconstruction of two portions of the vault, three hundred meters each, at the interior of the tunnel that connects Courmayeur, in Valle d'Aosta, to Chamonix, in the French department of Haute-Savoie. Through its website, Tmb-Geie, the Italian-French company that manages the tunnel, has announced a series of alternative routes that motorists will be able to travel, throughout this period, to reach France from Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta and vice versa.
In the spring the second phase
A second phase is planned for spring 2024, when another 640 meters of vault will undergo reclamation works. The total cost of both the 2023 and 2024 projects is 50 million euros. The work will mainly consist of a new waterproofing system to prevent water infiltration. However, another 18 years of autumn closures will be needed to complete the complete renovation of the tunnel.
Deep renovation of the structure
The two portions of the vaults of the Mont Blanc tunnel, one on the Italian side and the other on the French side, will therefore be renovated over a period of fifteen continuous weeks. As explained by the management company, these are "works which, 60 years after their construction, make the Bianco one of the first large European tunnels to undertake deep renovation works of the structure".
Alternative routes
The closing period coincides with the end of summer, when the number of vehicles is low. In any case, for the approximately 5.300 vehicles that pass through Mont Blanc every day, possible alternative routes have been indicated. The latter are represented by the Frejus Tunnel, the Gran San Bernardo tunnel and the Piccolo San Bernardo hill, until it will be passable.
Impact on the economy
The closure of the Mont Blanc tunnel, as well as causing inconvenience to motorists and truck drivers, will have a negative impact on the local economy. In fact, a drop in GDP of -2% for Valle d'Aosta and -3% for the North-West is estimated. 9,7 million tons of goods pass through it every year.
(Photo: Mont Blanc Tunnel Facebook Page)
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