Fréjus Tunnel that connects France and Italy to close this weekend

The Tunnel de Fréjus will be closed to all vehicles from Saturday (December 14) at 20:00 to Sunday (December 15) at 08:00. 

The tunnel links France and Italy via Modane (Savoie) and Bardonnèche (Piémont, in Italy).

Originally, the tunnel was set to close for the whole weekend, from Friday to Monday for a total of 56 hours, but protests due to the Mont Blanc tunnel also being closed meant that the Société française du tunnel routier du Fréjus (SFTRS) which manages the tunnel restricted the time it will be closed. 

The closure is deemed “essential for safely carrying out numerous tests and trials on our equipment (supervision, centralised technical management, etc.) prior to the opening of the second tube” according to SFTRS.

The Mont Blanc tunnel has been closed for three months for major renovations to be carried out and will reopen on Monday (December 16). 

Read more: Mont Blanc tunnel to close for three months

Had the original plan been maintained, there would have been no way to drive between France and Italy for a whole weekend, other than the Montgenèvre pass or, much further south, Ventimiglia.