2024

THE MONT-BLANC TUNNEL - A40 AUTOROUTE BLANCHE

Works of art to see

It is a tunnel closely monitored since the 1999 disaster - reassuring, therefore - and long 11,6 kilometres, between Chamonix and Courmayeur. Only the width of the tube, which could not be changed, still seems too narrow for the eternal claustrophobes. But for all the rest, what improvements: better lighting and overhaul of the ventilation system, a 100-metre drive, a mid-term rescue station, a combination of French and Italian control rooms and, above all, the construction of an independent evacuation gallery under the road. More fun, the tail of vehicles at the counter: you will have the impression of taking the start of a ski competition, with front of you the small barrier that displays on screen the time allotted before your departure. 10, 9, 8, 7… When it rises, you can start up to the limit speed of 70 km/h and with a spacing of 150 metres between each vehicle, which now seems very well respected. The reason? The multiplication of surveillance cameras, such as tickets.

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