The Mont Blanc Tunnel links France and Italy together, providing a vital transit between the two countries and facilitating the circulation of goods and services easily around Europe. The tunnel runs from the Vallée de l’Arve (Chamonix) in the Haute Savoie region, through to the Valle d’Aosta (Courmayeur) in Italy.
Mont Blanc Tunnel Information and Traffic Status
At certain times of year, particularly during the holidays, the Mont Blanc Tunnel experiences heavy volumes of traffic which can cause lengthy delays to your journey. To find out the current road and traffic conditions click on the links below:
Key dates in the history of the Mont Blanc Tunnel:
Tunnel construction workers
1946
Construction of the tunnel began on the Italian side, boring a tunnel through the rock, and marking the beginning of the project
1959
the French and Italian ministers officially launched the boring work from both entrances of the tunnel
1962
French and Italian workers meet in the middle, with only a 13cm variation!
1965
Mont Blanc Tunnel officially opened by Presidents Charles de Gaulle and Giuseppe Saragat
1999
Mont Blanc Tunnel fire kills 39 victims and closes tunnel for 3 years
2002
Mont Blanc Tunnel re-opens after significant reconstruction safety improvements
SomeTunnel statistics:
Length
The tunnel is 11.6kms
Width
8.6 metres
Journey Time
17 minutes
Altitude
1274m on French side, 1381m on Italian side, with maximum height of 1395.5 halfway through the tunnel. At the midpoint, the rock above the tunnel is nearly 3kms thick!
Border
The actual border between France and Italy is 7.6km into the tunnel from the French side
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Traffic Levels
In 2007, the average number of vehicles using the tunnel each day was measured at 4860 – 3201 light vehicles, 1616 HGVs and 42 coaches
Safety is the utmost priority for the operators of the Mont Blanc Tunnel and speed limits must therefore be strictly adhered to. Anyone caught flouting the speed regulations are liable to a hefty fine or confiscation of their licence.
Minimum Speed limit:
Maximum Speed limit:
Minimum distance between vehicles:
50 km/h
70 km/h
150m
All moving vehicles must use dipped headlights whilst in the tunnel and stopping and/or parking on the carriageway is strictly forbidden, as is overtaking, U-turning and reversing. Each driver is issued with a Mont Blanc Tunnel safety leaflet (pdf format) on payment of the toll which explains the road and safety regulations in three languages (English, French & Italian). Motorists are also asked to listen to the radio whilst driving through the tunnel
There are 126 cameras located within the tunnel which are able to detect the slightest incident. From the control room, 18 traffic safety operators monitor the tunnel 24 hours a day, using an automated assistance system which implements an appropriate operating procedure depending on the type of incident detected – eg. activation of message boards, ventilation, initiating emergency responses and sending warning messages to emergency response personnel. Fire engines are positioned at both entrances and in the middle of the tunnel so that the anticipated response time for any incident is estimated at no longer than 6 minutes.
Tolls
Toll rates for the tunnel differ depending on the class of vehicle you drive – eg. motorbikes, light vehicles or heavy goods vehicles. For a standard car, expect to pay around €33 for a one way and €41 for a return trip. There are frequent travel options available for those who use the tunnel regularly and in the winter, holders of the Mont Blanc Unlimited ski pass are entitled to reduced tunnel rates in order to access the skiing in Courmayeur. Click on the following links for more information on the Mont Blanc Unlimited ski pass and to find the latest toll prices.
Fines
There is a time delay on cars leaving the péages (toll booths) and signs to remind drivers to respect the speed limits and safe distances. Failure to respect these limits will incur severe on the spot fines or possibly the suspension of your licence. For example, driving dangerously close to the car in front could cost you €135 or even your licence. Failure to observe the speed limit could cost you between €90 and €750 and you can expect to lose your licence on the spot when you pay a fine of €750. Non-French & Italian drivers must pay the fines on the spot whereas nationals of either country have a month in which to pay.
The Tunnel Fire
Monument to those who died in the fire
On 24 March 1999, a heavy goods vehicle carrying flour and margarine came to a stop 6.7 kilometres into the tunnel after entering from the French side. A fire broke out and quickly spread to nearby vehicles; such was the intensity of the heat, French emergency teams were prevented from making their way through the tunnel. Thick black smoke was produced by the burning vehicles in just a matter of minutes.
It took two days for the emergency services to bring the fire under control, and claimed 39 lives.
A legal inquiry was opened by the Public Prosecutor for Bonneville, Haute Savoie, following the fire. As a result of the inquiry, 14 individuals and companies, including the ATMB and SGTMB appeared before the Bonneville Magistrates’ Court on charges of manslaughter. The verdict and trial was finally concluded in July 2005, where it was found that serious misgivings had taken place and it was "a catastrophe that could have been avoided". You can find further information about the trial verdict in our news.
After the fire, the tunnel had to be completely refurbished at a cost of €380 million before it could re-open on the 09 March 2002, nearly three years after it closed. Initially it was only light vehicles that were permitted to use the tunnel, with heavy goods traffic gradually being phased in over a 3 month period. For 12 months after the re-opening, heavy goods vehicles were only allowed to travel through the tunnel one direction at a time, but today, the traffic flows freely in both directions 24 hours a day.
Now all HGVs undergo rigorous checks by security personnel before being granted entry to the tunnel. Each vehicle is first checked for its clearance height and Euro category (an environmental standard based on vehicle age and pollution level) before passing through two heat detection portals – one at the bottom of the valley in Le Fayet and the second right at the tunnel entrance. These will spot any overheating potential before the vehicle enters the tunnel.
Pollution and the Tunnel
ARSMB tirelessly campaign against the trucks
The popularity of the tunnel and the easy access it provides to the rest of Europe is not without its downside. The environmental impact on the surrounding valleys being the primary cause of concern, and secondly, the general pollution caused by intensive road-traffic instead of the cleaner, though more costly overall, rail options.
Since the early 1990s, the ARSMB (Association pour le Respect du Site du Mont-Blanc) has been tirelessly campaigning to have international heavy goods vehicles banned from entering the Chamonix Valley in an effort to preserve the cultural and environmental surroundings. During the summer of 2005, a separate incident in the Fréjus tunnel in the Suthern Alps, resulted in up to 22,000 heavy goods vehicles a week being forced to use the Mont Blanc tunnel. In response to this, the ARSMB campaigned vigorously to bring the issue to public attention by staging protests and demonstrations at the entrance and surrounding area of the tunnel. See our News section for further information.
Whilst the area close to the tunnel entrance is undoubtedly more polluted than it should be, it is still possible to live and enjoy the valley as normal. Pollution problems are often worst in winter when the fumes get trapped in the valley due to temperature inversions, preventing the upward movement of air.
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