Andorra-France Road Reopens After Two-Month Rockslide Closure
The vital route linking Andorra to France reopened on March 9 following urgent clearance of 500 tonnes of rock, with sensors installed for safety.
Key Points
- Road closed since Jan 1 due to major rockslide; reopened March 9 after removing 500+ tonnes of rock.
- Sensors and red light system installed to detect cliff movement and halt traffic instantly.
- French services provide permanent monitoring due to remaining instability.
- Further 500 cubic metres of rock to be cleared in autumn, with enhanced safety measures now in place.
The road linking Andorra to France reopened to traffic on Monday, March 9, after being closed since January 1 due to a major rockslide. Specialist teams worked urgently over more than two months to secure the area and restore normal operations on this heavily used route.
Workers removed nearly 200 cubic metres of rock—equivalent to over 500 tonnes—that had piled up on the carriageway. The operations proceeded with extreme caution, as the zone remains somewhat unstable. French state services continue permanent monitoring of the stretch.
To enhance safety, crews installed a network of sensors to detect any movement in the cliff face, triggering an immediate road closure if risks arise. A red traffic light linked to the system can halt vehicles within seconds of an alert.
The works are not yet complete. Officials estimate another 500 cubic metres of rock still threaten the area, requiring the road to close again in autumn for further clearing and rock wall stabilisation. In the meantime, the reopened section features bolstered safety measures to protect drivers accessing the Principat.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: