Mont Blanc Tunnel

The Mont Blanc Tunnel is a road tunnel in The Alps under the Mont Blanc mountain, linking Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France (45°54′05″N 006°51′39″E / 45.90139°N 6.86083°E / 45.90139; 6.86083), and Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy (45°49′04″N 006°57′07″E / 45.81778°N 6.95194°E / 45.81778; 6.95194). It 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 (31 mi) and to Milan by 100 kilometres (62 mi).

Begun in 1957 and completed in 1965, the Mont Blanc Tunnel is 11,611 metres (7.215 mi) long, 8.6 metres (28 ft) wide, and 4.35 metres (14.3 ft) high. The tunnel is not horizontal, but in a slightly inverted "V". Altitude on the French side: 1,274 m (4,180 ft); Italian side: 1,381 m (4,531 ft). The tunnel consists of a single gallery with a two-lane dual direction road.

Plans to widen the tunnel were never implemented because of lack of financing and fierce opposition of local residents who objected to the harmful effects of increased heavy traffic.

The Mont Blanc Tunnel was originally managed by two public companies, each managing half of the tunnel:

• French side: ATMB (Autoroutes et tunnels du Mont-Blanc), founded 30 April 1958
• Italian side: SITMB (Società italiana per azioni per il Traforo del Monte Bianco), founded 1 September 1957

After the 1999 fire, which showed how lack of coordination could hamper the safety of the tunnel, all the operations are managed by a single entity: MBT-EEIG, controlled by both ATMB and SITMB together, through a 50–50 shares distribution.