Mont Blanc Tunnel

(Local Name: Galleria del Monte Bianco) The construction of the Mont Blanc Tunnel (Galleria del Monte Bianco; boring completed 1962; opened to traffic July 16th 1965) is very important, particularly for tourist traffic. The tunnel begins at Entrèves (altitude 1,381m/4,557ft) above sea-level, and ends 11.6km/7.25mi farther on at an altitude of 1,274m/4,204ft above the hamlet of Les Pèlerins, a suburb of Chamonix. The tunnel (toll), which is open throughout the year, shortens the journey from Italy to western Switzerland and central and northern France by several hundred kilometers during the period from October to June when the high Alpine passes are closed.