Andorra Conducts Avalanche-Control Blasts on Key Mountain Roads
Coex performs preventive explosive operations on General 2 and 3 roads after snowfalls, with similar closures in France, prioritizing safety on.
Key Points
- Helicopter-dropped explosives cleared Gavatxa area at Pas de la Casa this morning.
- Nighttime blasts on General 2 at Soldeu triggered controlled avalanche in Guardiola zone.
- General 3 closed at 7am for Hortell snow buildup clearance.
- France closed RN20/RN320 yesterday for avalanche control near Andorra.
Andorra's Coex service has conducted preventive avalanche-control operations on the General 2 road at Soldeu and Pas de la Casa following recent snowfalls.
The latest actions included a morning operation today in the Gavatxa area at Pas de la Casa, carried out via helicopter-dropped explosives. This followed yesterday's nighttime closure around 10pm on General 2 at Soldeu, where controlled blasts triggered an avalanche in the Guardiola de Soldeu zone. These measures affect the General 2 route, with roads reopening after snow clearance.
An additional closure took place this morning around 7am on General 3 at Arcalís, targeting snow buildup in the Hortell area. Officials note that while snow accumulation exceeds 10cm in these sectors from today's falls, levels are not extreme, and the releases prioritize safety on mountain roads.
In neighboring France, the Arieja prefecture closed RN20 and RN320 yesterday between 8.15am and 9am, from Hospitalet-près-l'Andorra to Exargue parking, for a similar avalanche-control effort.
Coex urges drivers to check traffic updates amid these disruptions on key routes.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: