Contracts for new Alpine base tunnel

CONSTRUCTION of the long planned 57.5km tunnel under the Alps between Italy and France will begin this year after contracts worth €3 billion were awarded for about 80% of the remaining work. Limited work has been underway since 2002, but disagreements between the two governments and widespread public protests in Italy have delayed the project. When complete, in about 2032, the new 220km/h tunnel will reduce journey times between Turin and Lyon. A new high-speed line from the Lyon area to the new tunnel at Saint-Jeande-Maurienne is planned in France.