Heard of the Tende Tunnel? It’s a 3,182 metre passage just north of France’s Alpes-Maritime department which connects to Italy, and it was closed for major renovations back in 2013.
The plan was to give the original nineteenth-century portion a modern refresh and to build a second passage for vehicles to pass through, and now, the tunnel is reopening – sort of.
Works on the new tunnel should be complete by March, with the opening earmarked for June, after a period of testing is complete. However, work on the old tunnel won’t begin until the new side is open, so the tunnel will only serve one direction for now.
The project has already been marred by delays – 200 tonnes of materials were stolen from the site in 2017, and Storm Alex rendered the French side inaccessible in 2020. It’s thought that both sides of it will be open for use in 2027.
When it was originally inaugurated 1882, Tende was the longest road tunnel in the world, and was only part of Italy at the time. However, that changed when the 1947 Treaty of Paris saw this portion of land annexed by France.
The cost has been split between the French and Italian governments – but how much is it costing them, exactly? Well, the project was originally estimated to cost €170 million, but that’s since spiralled to a whopping €250 million. According to The Connexion, around 41 percent has been covered by the French government and local authorities in the nearby regions, and €70 million has been put forward by Italy.
Looking for a more eco-friendly way to travel between Italy and France? While the revamp has been underway over the last decade, there have been huge advancements in train services linking the two countries. A high-speed Paris-Milan train launched in 2022, while Turin and Lyon are set to be connected by rail by 2032.
Stay tuned for updates on the full reopening of the Tende Tunnel. In the meantime, here are the best things to do in France and Italy.
Did you see that Paris is getting a brand-new, ultra-modern metro station this month?
Plus: These are officially Europe’s most congested cities.
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