This autumn. The Mont-Blanc tunnel closed for three weeks.

The Mont Blanc tunnel which connects Chamonix (F) to Courmayeur (I) will be closed from October 17 to November 7. For three weeks, including that of the Geneva school holidays, the structure will undergo a complete renovation of its 11.6 km of roadways. The ATMB recommends taking alternative routes.

After twenty years of traffic since the reopening of the work in March 2002, the roadways of the tunnel must be renovated over the entire length, according to information published by the Autoroutes and Tunnel du Mont Blanc Network (ATMB), relayed Thursday by the Tribune of Geneva.

The work foresees the planing of all the current asphalt in the tunnel, the repair of the upper part of the slab under the roadway, the laying of a waterproofing complex in order to protect the slab from water ingress, as well as the in place of the final pavements.

The work represents an investment of 20 million euros. It is financed equally by ATMB and SITMB, the concession company on the Italian side.

The dates of the work were chosen in consultation with the two prefectures of Haute-Savoie and the Aosta Valley, because they correspond to the lowest periods of the year for traffic in the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Indeed, from October to November, traffic drops significantly. However, they fall right in the middle of the Geneva school holidays in the last week of October.

The site will thus be completed to accommodate traffic linked to winter tourism.

nt