Mont Blanc Tunnel, Situation Normal…

Four years after the fire that killed 39 people the final restriction on trucks in the Mont Blanc tunnel was lifted today, at 14h00.  After the accident the tunnel was extensively modernised but is still a narrow, 1960s design, judged inherently unsafe for today’s traffic by many.

Ecologists believe it is only a matter of time before another serious accident.  The mayor of Chamonix is amongst 14 other people facing charges for his handling of the disaster.

Heavy goods traffic was light over the weekend as only trucks with special permissions are allowed on the road at weekends in France.  The governments of both France and Italy were keen to re-establish the balance between Chamonix and the Frejus tunnel to the south, currently 90% of trucks use the Frejus tunnel, a situation judged intolerable by residents of the Maurienne valley. But the reestablishment of two way traffic is a failure for ecologist, especially as the French government seems set to abandon promises of train transport for trucks in the alps.  Ecologists and residents plan to stage a protest on Monday.