Mont Blanc Tunnel
 Mont Blanc Tunnel
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Location | Europe: western Alps |
| Coordinates | 45°51′14″N 6°54′50″E / 45.854°N 6.914°ECoordinates: 45°51′14″N 6°54′50″E / 45.854°N 6.914°E |
| Status | Open 24 hrs/day |
| Route |
  RN205  Traforo T1 European route E25
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| Start | Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France |
| End | Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | May 1959 (1946) |
| Constructed | 1959–1965 (1946) |
| Opened | 19 July 1965 |
| Operator | MBT-EEIG, controlled by both ATMB and SITMB |
| Traffic | Automotive |
| Character | Passenger & freight |
| Toll |
€41 (one-way), 2013 passenger vehicle over €300 (one-way), three or more axles |
| Technical | |
| Length | 11.611 km (7.215 mi) |
| No. of lanes | 2 |
| Operating speed | 50–70 km/h (31–43 mph) |
| Highest elevation | 1,395 m (4,577 ft) center |
| Lowest elevation | 1,274 m (4,180 ft) France (NW) |
| Tunnel clearance | 4.35 m (14.3 ft) |
| Width | 8.6 m (28 ft) |
The Mont Blanc Tunnel is a highway tunnel in Europe, under the Mont Blanc mountain in the Alps. It links Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France with Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy, via European route E25. The passageway is one of the major trans-Alpine transport routes, particularly for Italy, which relies on the tunnel for transporting as much as one-third of its freight to northern Europe. It reduces the route from France to Turin by 50 kilometres (30 miles) and to Milan by 100 km (60 mi). Northeast of Mont Blanc's summit, the tunnel is about 15 km (10 mi) southwest of the tripoint with Switzerland, near Mont Dolent.
Begun in 1957 and completed in 1965, the tunnel is 11.611 km (7.215 mi) in length, 8.6 m (28 ft) in width, and 4.35 m (14.3 ft) in height. The passageway is not horizontal, but in a slightly inverted "V", which assists ventilation. The entrance elevation on the French side (45°54′05″N 006°51′39″E / 45.90139°N 6.86083°E) is 1,274 m (4,180 ft) and 1,381 m (4,531 ft) in Italy (45°49′04″N 006°57′07″E / 45.81778°N 6.95194°E), with a maximum of 1,395 m (4,577 ft) near the center, a maximum difference of 121 m (397 ft). The tunnel consists of a single gallery with a two-lane dual direction road. At the time of its construction, it tripled the length of any existing highway tunnel.
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