At the start of 2025, a major infrastructure linking Italy and France, the Tenda road tunnel, remains closed for ongoing works. The reopening depends on progress on the French side, and Italy has repeatedly urged Paris to speed up the process. On the morning of 4 January 2025, a significant meeting was held on the Italian side of the Tenda. It brought together Minister Tabarot, the President of the Piedmont Region, Alberto Cirio, and the Mayor of Limone Piemonte, Massimo Riberi, who represented the President of the Province of Cuneo, Luca Robaldo.
During the site visit, the French Minister stated that the tunnel could reopen to vehicle traffic by June 2025. Initially, the Tenda was scheduled to reopen by the end of 2024, but this was delayed due to a veto on the proposed “worksite mode” operation by ANAS, which would have allowed alternating one-way traffic. Minister Tabarot confirmed that the tunnel will reopen in its final configuration by the end of June 2025. On the Italian side, the new bridge over the Rio del Ca’ was successfully tested in November 2024.
The day before the visit, a virtual meeting took place between Tabarot, Riberi, and Italy’s Deputy Minister of Transport, Edoardo Rixi. The discussion covered various cross-border infrastructure projects, including the Frejus road tunnel. Regarding the Frejus, the French Minister committed to opening its second tube by the end of June 2025.