Work
on repairing the Mont Blanc Tunnel is scheduled to
begin in July. The tunnel has been closed for more
than 15 months after a fatal fire which killed 39
people in March last year.
The French and Italian companies that control the
company have reportedly established a joint body to
oversee repairs, likely to cost 200 million euros
(£120m). Completion is scheduled for March 2001
meaning that skiers are unlikely to be able to use
the tunnel again until the 2001/02 season.
Since the fire the tunnel has been the centre of controversy,
with a strong campaign
to ban or dramatically reduce freight traffic using
it. In an attempt to placate protestors, the French
and Italian governments have pledged to double the
amount of freight carried by rail through the adjacent
Frčjus tunnel.
A
new rail freight tunnel, up to 50km long, connecting
the Savoy region with Italy is also being planned
for the future at an estimated cost of 6 billion euros
(£3.6b).
