The reopening of the Tenda Tunnel, located in the province of Cuneo, is finally drawing near. This tunnel serves as a crucial road artery connecting Italy and France. In mid-November 2024, Anas carried out the load testing of the new bridge over the Ca' stream, which provides access to the tunnel, using several heavy industrial vehicles. The bridge, constructed by Cimolai of Pordenone, features a twin arch structure with a mixed steel-concrete deck suspended from the arches by hanger rods. The tunnel is expected to open to traffic by the end of 2024, although it is likely to remain closed at night to complete the remaining works.
In recent years, the Tenda Tunnel has faced a long series of challenges, which have complicated and delayed its modernisation and expansion. In 2013, work began to construct a new parallel tunnel, intended to modernise and double the connection between Italy and France. However, in 2017, the works were suspended when Anas decided to terminate the contract with the company Grandi Lavori Fincosit due to contractual non-compliance, causing a significant halt to the project.
In May 2019, a new contract was signed with the Edilmaco-Cipa consortium, for an amount of €102.5 million, offering renewed hope for the completion of the works. But the tunnel faced yet another setback in October 2020, when Storm Alex devastated the area, causing the collapse of access bridges on the French side, flooding of the tunnel, and severe damage to the construction site on the Italian side, with machinery and equipment buried under mud and debris.
In April 2022, Edilmaco resumed excavation operations on the French side, and in September of the same year, the revised executive plan for works on the French side was approved. On 31 July 2023, the final diaphragm of the tunnel was broken through, marking a crucial milestone in the completion of the project. However, the costs have escalated significantly, rising from €140 million to €255 million over ten years.
