Tunnel closure postponed

Mont-Blanc Tunnel (c) WRS

The closure of the Mont-Blanc Tunnel has been postponed – likely for a year.

The decision was made by the French and Italian governments.

The tunnel was due to close on Monday to the middle of December to allow for renovation.

The last-minute decision to cancel the work was made due to a series of incidents affecting trans-Alpine traffic. 

A landslide in France has closed the Fréjus Tunnel to trucks, and the Gotthard train tunnel is now severely limited because of a derailment.

The decision not to close the Mont-Blanc Tunnel was pushed for by the Italian government which says it was concerned by potential backlogs. 

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