The long-delayed Col de Tende Tunnel, a vital cross-border link between the Roya Valley in the Alpes-Maritimes and Piedmont in Italy, is finally approaching the finish line. During a recent visit to the site, France’s newly appointed Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot confirmed that the tunnel is set to open to the public in June, following a trial launch in early spring.
Tabarot’s visit to the Roya Valley on 4th January heralds the imminent end to the long-term works on the tunnel, which began in 2014. As the initial project, already behind schedule due to a series of delays, neared completion, the tunnel experienced a devastating setback when Storm Alex swept through the region in 2020, washing away historic landmarks and vital infrastructure alike.
For the past four years, residents in the Roya Valley and the neighbouring Piedmont region in Italy have been forced to manage their daily lives without the tunnel connection—an underground road link that provided access between the communes located on either side of a mountain range impassable during the winter months. During the summer, the La Ça Canelle route offers an alternative to the tunnel but it is a lengthy and winding detour.
Now, more than a decade since renovations to the tunnel—first opened in 1882—began, the end is in sight.
Joined by a coterie of local officials including Patrick Amoussou-Adéblé, Secretary General of the Prefecture; Mayor of Tende Jean-Pierre Vassallo and Italian representatives, French Transport Minister Tabarot announced that the tunnel will reopen in June, following a trial period set to begin in either late March or early April.
Speaking to France 3, Mayor Vassallo said, “This is the big news. For me, it is the Christmas present for the valley. You should know that since 2013, no minister or prefect has come to see the Col de Tende Tunnel.”
The site visit, which was Tabarot’s first official engagement outside of the Paris region since his appointment, saw the minister taken on a cross-border tour along the length of the structure.
“The Italian authorities told us how essential the end of the tunnel was for the economy of their valley and the Po Valley, [and] we reminded them how important it was for the Roya Valley,” he declared.
The former senator from the Alpes-Maritimes added that the Tende Tunnel is a top priority and sought to address the persistent delays that have plagued the project, vowing to “get out of the impasse that the Col de Tende Tunnel has become.”
The final stages of construction, which must be completed ahead of the soft launch, involve finishing the last 800 metres of the tunnel on the French side and installing lighting, ventilation and safety systems, as well as completing sidewalks.
As the countdown to June begins, the Tende Tunnel’s completion could finally bring relief to the region, reconnecting communities and reinvigorating local economies on both sides of the border.
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Photo source: Prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes