Major road tunnel between France and Italy to reopen this month after 12 years of works
The new Tende tunnel will be inaugurated on Friday, June 27
The Tende tunnel has been closed since 2013 due to the construction of a second passage for vehicles
ProximaCentauri1
The Tende road tunnel between France and Italy will reopen on June 27, 12 years after it was first closed for works, France’s Minister of Transport Philippe Tabarot announces.
The inauguration date comes after Mr Tabarot expressed intentions for the tunnel to reopen “in June” while on a visit to the site at the start of this year, with the Minister now confirming this promise.
"I am very happy about it. From good news to disappointments, the last five months have not been a smooth ride. This project required a lot of energy and persuasion alongside our Italian friends, who are in charge of the project," Mr Tabarot told Nice-Matin.
The tunnel is situated in the village of Tende in the mountainous north of the Alpes-Maritimes department and has been closed since 2013 due to the construction of a second passage for vehicles.
The building works have been funded approximately 60% by Italy and 40% by France, with the total cost of the lengthy project increasing from the projected €170 million to over €250 million.
A number of setbacks led to the price increase, including over 200 tons of material being stolen from the building site in 2017. Storm Alex in 2020 also caused significant damage to the local area, resulting in access on the French side of the tunnel being cut off.
The reopening of the tunnel will facilitate connections between the Côte d'Azur and Italy, with the current detour taking drivers up to three times longer than pre-tunnel closure.
“Thanks to this reopening, we can hope to recreate the very strong links between the Alpes-Maritimes and Piedmont, for both historical and geographical reasons,” said Mr Tabarot.
Two-way traffic by 2027
Traffic will initially run one-way – alternating between the countries – as work to modernise parts of the original 19th Century tunnel will not begin before construction of the new tunnel is complete.
These renovations are estimated to be finished by 2027, with two-way traffic only possible after this.
