Pas de la Casa Border Reopens After Snowfall, Businesses Report Losses

**Pas de la Casa border reopens after heavy snowfall, but local businesses report losses**

The Pas de la Casa border crossing with France reopened Sunday morning to all vehicles after a joint snow-clearing operation, though local retailers faced a challenging weekend with low customer turnout.

French authorities approved access to roads RN320 and RN22, as confirmed by Mobility Andorra on its social channels. The closure began Friday afternoon due to intense snowfall and lasted through Saturday, disrupting travel into Andorra.

From 4:30 a.m., an Andorran COEX snowplow collaborated with French DIRSO teams to clear the routes. This coordination minimized downtime and allowed an earlier-than-expected reopening. The Andorran government credited the effort to its Thursday assistance offer, enabled by a new winter road maintenance protocol ratified by both nations weeks earlier. The agreement improves responses to weather events affecting border links.

Mobility Andorra noted French confirmation of full access, with no additional disruptions reported.

Retailers in Pas de la Casa described Sunday as another difficult day despite the reopening. Several merchants said the weekend—especially Saturday's full closure—brought far fewer visitors than usual, compounding losses from a prior French farmers' blockade in December. "The situation was complicated throughout the weekend," one explained, noting almost no customers in the morning and unusually empty parking lots on a January Sunday.

While improving from Saturday's near-total absence of French tourists and buses, Sunday still lacked the expected influx, even with sunny weather and rising temperatures. Businesses worry about repeated setbacks during peak winter season.