Italian authorities announced in a press conference that the drilling of the road tunnel connecting the Alpes-Maritimes to Italy will resume this Friday at 6 a.m.
There is already a tunnel that must be completely redeveloped as the structure dating from 1882 no longer meets current safety standards. After years of deliberation, the works finally began in 2015, notably with the construction of a new tube.
The tunnel was almost finished when everything stopped in 2017, with only 1.5 kilometers left to drill, but the courts then decided to halt the project.
The total cost of the works was estimated at the time to be 258 million Euros, funded 58% by Italy and 42% by France. An additional 15 million euros was necessary.
The opening of the new Tende tunnel, which was supposed to take place in the summer of 2017, is now scheduled for 2024.
