VS: Gran San Bernardo road reopens after nine days
Keystone-SDA
The Great St Bernard Road (A21), which connects the Swiss canton of Valais with the Aosta Valley reopens on Sunday at 5pm after being closed to traffic for nine days due to an avalanche.
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The Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) indicated the reopening in a note on its website.
On 17 April, an avalanche fell on the Les Toules artificial tunnel. Blocks of rock and trees were dragged down into the valley, causing damage to infrastructure over a length of about 300 metres.
News of the road reopening has come sooner than expected.
The work carried out before the reopening included the removal of “debris from the rockfall protection nets” and the repair of damaged nets, the statement reads.
Traffic on the affected section will be regulated by traffic lights on one lane in an alternating direction.
+ What’s triggering avalanches?
While traffic is flowing again further safety work will be carried out. At the same time, the slope remains under geological observation. Should significant rock movements or an increased danger of avalanches be detected, the road will be closed again.
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Translated from Italian by DeepL/mga
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