A major road tunnel connecting two of Europe’s most popular countries is set to reopen after 10 years of construction work.
Located in the mountainous north of the Alpes-Maritimes department, the Tende Tunnel connecting France and Italy is expected to reopen this summer following its closure in 2013.
The tunnel closed due to the construction of a second passage for vehicles, but now new French minister Philippe Tabarot has revealed that it is scheduled to reopen in June.
The minister shared the news as he visited the site of the tunnel with his Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini.
Construction work taking place at the tunnel is set to be completed by March, with a testing period to follow.
Following the reopening, traffic will initially run only one-way. After the completion of the second passage, a project to modernise the original 19th-century infrastructure will be looked at.
Connexion France reported that the Italian government announced that they will be contributing €70 million (around £58 million) towards the work, and said tenders will be sent out as soon as current works on the tunnel are completed.
Once the redevelopment work is done, the tunnel will be able to accommodate a two-way traffic system. The work to add a second tube in the tunnel began in 2013, with the aim of also expanding its length.
The ongoing works have suffered multiple delays and setbacks, including thieves stealing 200 tons worth of material in 2017 and a storm in 2020 causing severe damage to the local area and the French side of the tunnel being cut off.
The delays have caused the cost of the project to increase significantly, going from €170 million (£141 million) to over €250 million (£207 million).
