The Tende Tunnel, which connects the Roya Valley in France with Piedmont in Italy, has been closed since the devastating Storm Alex that swept through the region in October 2020. It was initially due to reopen in late 2023, then in the summer of 2024, but successive delays and scandals have plagued the site. With a new deadline now set for the end of this year, will the tunnel be fit for purpose before the start of 2025?
From legal troubles to scandals of rumoured mafia involvement, as well as the impacts of the Covid pandemic, the reopening of the Tende Tunnel has been repeatedly postponed over the last few years, causing untold difficulties for local populations and economies in the mountainous areas on both sides of the site.
The tunnel, a vital infrastructure link for both the French and Italian economies, connecting the Côte d’Azur with Italian destinations including the Riserva Bianca-Limone ski resort, Cuneo, and Turin, was all but wiped off the map by Storm Alex in late 2020. The storm tore through the deep river valleys in this part of the Alps, washing away homes and infrastructure and leading to the deaths of dozens of people.
See more: Prince Albert II celebrates restoration of historic monuments damaged by Storm Alex
But now, after all the setbacks, there is hope that the tunnel could be operated under a “construction site mode” before the end of 2024.
Jean-Michel Palette, the president of the Intergovernmental Commission (CIG) overseeing the project, has confirmed to the French press that work on the tunnel and the bridge destroyed in the 2020 storm is nearing completion.
With the bridge finished and civil engineering for the tunnel almost done, the installation of essential equipment like lighting, ventilation, and water networks is said to be the main focus of the workers and construction teams on site. According to France 3, approximately 150 workers are currently involved in moving the project beyond this final stage.
French authorities, however, remain guarded about the prospective reopening of the tunnel, with their Italian counterparts marginally more optimistic.
The French officials involved have emphasised that several technical and safety conditions, including network infrastructure and safety equipment testing, must be addressed before any reopening can occur. These checks will be carried out by authorities on both sides of the border to ensure the tunnel is fit for purpose once again. No official dates for this testing process have been announced as yet.
If the tunnel is in an acceptable condition to open in what is being termed “construction site mode” by the end of 2024, light vehicle traffic only will be allowed to access the route between 8am and 8pm, in alternating lanes. Heavy goods vehicles, electric vehicles, tourist buses, and vehicles carrying hazardous materials will be prohibited during this period. Reports suggest that the remaining work will continue at night, once the daytime traffic has ceased.
A budget overrun
The work was initially budgeted at €141 million, but the cost of the project has reportedly risen to an eye-watering €330 million – an increase attributed to circumstances such as the extensive damages incurred from Storm Alex and price increases over the past decade. France is funding 42% of the project.
Two of the Italian companies involved in the project, Edilmaco and the Italian road agency Anas, were due to face fines in mid-2024 due to their role in the delays, but the start date for these penalties has since been moved to 7th January. The fines are estimated at €130,000 per day, fees that will be deducted from the outstanding payments owed to the contractor.
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Photo credit: Markus Schweiss / Wikipedia