Good news for residents of the region. The A43 motorway, closed since August 27 in the Maurienne valley (Savoie) after a spectacular landslide, will reopen this weekend, “probably” from Saturday, announced this Friday, September 8, the Minister of Transport Clément Beaune.
This will make it possible to launch maintenance work on the Mont Blanc tunnel in “a few days”, initially scheduled for September 4, he added on the France Bleu pays de Savoie channel.
“I will make a final technical point this morning with the surrounding highway services, the department, the State services, and of course the elected officials but over the weekend, the reopening of the A43 and once again, probably as soon as tomorrow (Saturday) can be done”, declared the minister on the antenna of France Bleu Pays de Savoie before going during the day to Modane.
7 weeks of work
About 10,000 m3 of rocks had collapsed on August 27 in Savoie, following a heat wave followed by heavy rains. It led to the closure of the RD 1006, the A43 motorway and the railway, isolating several municipalities.
The Fréjus tunnel which serves the Maurienne valley and Italy, as an alternative route to the Mont Blanc tunnel, has since been banned for vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes, postponing heavy goods vehicle road traffic towards the Mont Blanc tunnel. White. Light vehicles were able to travel under this tunnel, using a diversion.
“It will probably be a little later than Monday, in the coming days, but work on the Mont-Blanc tunnel will be able to begin,” assured the minister. After discussions with Italy, “we will undoubtedly reduce the period of work this fall on the Mont Blanc tunnel. We were around 15 weeks […] it will probably be around seven weeks of work”.
On the resumption of rail traffic, Clément Beaune indicated that “it would take more time”. I prefer to be very clear so as not to create disappointment. It will be at least two months and probably more, of closure of rail traffic”, underlined the minister, explaining that it was necessary “first to clear everything to access the railway tunnel and then to see the damage and intervene”.