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Serre Chevalier/La Grave road closure/Tunnel du Chambon

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I'm staying in Venosc at the moment and yesterday I drove round to Les Deux Alpes (rather than pay for the gondola up from Venosc) and when I got to the barrage I pulled into the car park there and got out and took some pictures of the Route de Secours.


This is the sign for the entrance to the Route de Secours as you drive a short way up from the barrage in the direction of LDA:




Entrance to the Route de Secours with sign specifying restrictions on certain vehicles:



Vehicles from the La Grave direction exiting the Route de Secours off to the left side of the photo (vehicles entering from the LDA side heading to La Grave enter via the road sloping down from the bottom right of the photo):




The exit from the Route de Secours for vehicles travelling from La Grave:




A vehicle on the Route de Secours travelling in the direction of La Grave:



A view of the Route de Secours and the lake:


Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 27-07-16 9:57; edited 3 times in total
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just to check I'm ok to use the temporary road on a bike to get back to Bourg D'Oisans from the Galibier (it's a bit of a trek to head back), from what I've read it appears the road is either "open-closed" or "closed-closed" how do I know which it is?

Also can you access the Clavans road from the dam i.e. cross the dam heading east then immediately turn left?

Cheers.
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@Swirly, There were only road closures during the winter to clear small slides, make repairs, etc. Clavans is above Mizoën isn't it, the route there has remained unchanged.
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@Swirly, y@Swirly, you'll be fine. It will be a great alternative cycle route once the tunnel is reopened. It comes out just above the L2A turn off. There have been night closures if there have been rock falls. Official signs do say the road is closed though.
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All gantry signs now show the road as open.

Though there are still plastic coverings on various signs.

This route shows the cycling Clavans / Mont de Lans, ADH route taking the "route secours" that I did a few weeks back.
https://www.strava.com/activities/628756310

I'm actually just back from friends that run a hotel in La Grave.

As I suspected there is still no clear answer to what might actually be open by December 1st, with various rolling eyes rolling eyes

Not least from what I could understand that the Project Director of the new build is on the board on the Frejus tunnel company, so it's in "his interest" to see the proposed one way route* instigated rolling eyes

So as well as this thread might try to inform as to what is happening, it's such a farce that only by mid November will there be some sort of real detail that will allow a more definitive prognosis rolling eyes

In a nutshell, current road is great for cycling, as for cars, depends on how many plonkers in camper vans / Polish "trucks" choose to ignore the warnings........

And as for the renewed Cable Car contract, that is as clear as mud rolling eyes

Tenders have to be in by the end of October.

Sorry for the rolling eyes but only trying to portray the lack of actual detail and the frustration that is currently being encountered in LG and surrounding communes.

I also get very embarrassed to keep on raising the same old subjects with friends who are so frustrated about the past 18 months and what the future has in store.
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@Weathercam, ah ok, they were showing as closed when we travelled out, but obviously didn't really look on the way back. There's still diversion signs in place around Vizille.
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@Hells Bells, yes that's the big difference that people are "talking" about that no longer do the gantry signs "warn" that the road is closed.

LG around 18:30 was positively "busy" always amuses me that it is busier in the summer than the winter, with more hotels and shops open for the passing trade.

I'll expand a little more on one of the comments I made. above.

One rumour is that initially the tunnel will only be open one way, so people will have to come back via Frejus - hence people mentioning about the Project Director being on the Board of the Frejus Company and self interest etc etc

The way they cracked on with the relief road last Autumn getting it ready in time for the Winter was an amazing feet, drilling through nigh on a km of rock should be a doddle Toofy Grin
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I'm going hiking in the Vercors Friday I'll look on the way back. In fact I'll look at the overhead sign just outside Bourg d'Oisans this morning.

I actually think they're doing remarkably well. Relief road opened in 7 months and if it's open in time a new tunnel in 20 months. Although I dont expect the guys in La Grave who are suffering to feel that way.
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The fixed signs are all still in place advising that road is closed. Overhead sign on the straight after Bourg is now imploring motorists not to run cyclists over instead Smile
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@Claude B, so after driving back yesterday via the "rescue road" and driving up from Lac Serre Poncon a few weeks back it's obvious that it's all a massive wee wee take now with various signs saying that the road is closed and take diversions via La Mure / Gap whilst others most notably in the Serre Valley say the road is open to cars which we know it is!

Coming up from Serre Poncon the signs around Guilliestre said it was shut and to go via Gap / Frejus and around Bourg more of the same.

Of course it's not in the interest of the local Tourist Office's to promote the fact that it is open and advise accordingly, and I do know for a fact that hotels in Bourg have been telling enquiring clients as much !

Bit of a French farce rolling eyes
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The owner of the house we have rented in Vallouise told us to go over the Galibier when we came down from Geneva, rather than the "rescue road" past Le Grave as there were massive multi hour tailbacks on Saturdays . We were fine with that as we wanted to drive over the Galibier, but when we head back to UK on Saturday 3rd September I think we would prefer not to do the col. Are we crazy to try the "rescue road" on a Saturday?
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@ringingmaster, I think 3rd September should be OK. The main holidays for France finish this weekend, and schools will be back on 31st. The road was quiet when we used it to go home on Saturday 18th July, although perhaps inbound later in the day would not have been so good.
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I've driven down past the relief road from here on Saturdays regularly over thé past 8 weeks at various times depending on where I'm going to or coming from. Never seen a queue at all. Between Grenoble and Vizille yes, much as in the winter.
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@Hells Bells, @Claude B, Thanks for responding. I will give it a try. Happy
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@ringingmaster, if driving down from Geneva to Vallouise would seem pretty logical to go over the Galibier anyway?

Going via La Grave would be a major detour n'est pas regardless of traffic issues which are pretty non existent.

Galibier can be pretty quick as well.
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@Weathercam, Satnav wanted to go through Italy . I had assumed the Galiber would take an age, but it was fine.
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@ringingmaster, Italy might have been a wee bit faster as you stay on auto route for much longer, but then you'd have the expense of the Frejus tunnel.

Galibier's fine as long as there are not too many feckin camper vans! I always do it either very early or late in the day.
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All fine around the relief road last Saturday, apart from two very large camper vans in front of us who were stopping on some corners for their passengers to get out and "see them around" the corner. rolling eyes
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New tunnel is finished, well more or less

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All the media reports point to the tunnel opening mid December*

Copied this from the Newsletter sent out today by the Hotel Edelweiss in La Grave (who should be in the know).

The tunnel
More good news: after the tunnel on the main road collapsed in april 2015, there has been an emergency road (route de secours) constructed which had us connected with "the world" again. It is getting better: the tunnel is now repaired and extended, and according to the latest news, it will be opened again 15th of december, right before the start of the season! We will keep you posted (to be continued).

The skilift
The La Grave ski lift will open for winter on december 17th. As many of you know, the telepherique operating licence is up for renewal at the end of summer 2017. Six bids have been retained. Other than a requirement to build a lift on the glacier to 3600, none of the terms of reference would allow a significant change in the existing structure of the uplift: no pistes and no artificial snow making are allowed! The "winner" will be announced after the Derby, early April. The show will go on!

Mind you do not become complacement even with the new tunnel the Lautaret can still be shut if weather is bad - so for many the cheap tickets still on offer the Frejus might still be the better option if heading South down to our part of the world.

*can you imagine that happening so quickly in the UK !!!!
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Quote:

can you imagine that happening so quickly in the UK !!!!


They repaired and reopened the Dawlish sea wall railway within 18-months
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Bizarrely they're keeping the discount on the Frejus tunnel till the end of the season as well........
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@KenX, the tunnel is closing again at some point during the season, after the French holidays are finished I think, so that is probably why. There were also rumours the traffic might just be one way.
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Drove through the new tunnel today from dam side, it's relatively short as you take the old tunnel first, then the new tunnel bears left before coming out just past the entrance (La Grave side) of the old, if that makes sense?

Think I saw a Grenoble bus coming down from the Lautaret so there must be a dispensation for them to go through the tunnel as there are weight restrictions on all the gantry signs.

But chapeau to them for getting it open!
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Authorised buses are allowed, was on the gantry signs, great to see it open, cue big sigh of relief from La Grave businesses!
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@Hells Bells, they're saying it'll close again on March 6th, then the Route de Secours will open again (it's now closed), explains the extended offer on the Frejus tunnel tickets.......
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@KenX, I read that a while ago.
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How do you get the discounted Frejus tunnel tickets?
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 You know it makes sense.
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@craigjbarker, http://www.serre-chevalier.com/en/winter/miscellaneous/frejus-pass/
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The rebuilt Tunnel du Chambon which re-opened permanently in December 2017 has been closed again for an indefinite period after an electrical fire inside the tunnel (fortunately no one was hurt). In the meantime it looks like they are going to be using the emergency alternative route which they built on the other side of the lake (proving useful again)....

http://alpesdusud.alpes1.com/news/hautes-alpes/72685/hautes-alpes-le-tunnel-du-chambon-ferme-totalement-sur-la-rd1091?fbclid=IwAR2_KiRC2JAnNkWPb7gjFKIt62Mknoh_ti1PNbDBJfSM4I0OimlDXv2qmcw
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Hopefully won't take long to fix the damaged electrical box...........
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KenX wrote:
Hopefully won't take long to fix the damaged electrical box...........


Yep fortunately the damage was minor and it's been announced that the tunnel will now re-open tomorrow morning. Smile http://inforoute.hautes-alpes.fr/www/index.html?fbclid=IwAR2nD5Cr9BPVtkVOQCVQqOItEc5NAHeKWCL6W1lHTAuiKP3zNevjBnjUOk4
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Actually Le Dauphine yesterday made no mention of using the rescue road - presume that as it has not been used (was closed even to cyclists in the summer) for a while it would take a few days work, maybe more to get it ready.
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@Weathercam, the Isere site someone linked to on FB did mention use of the relief road. That also mentioned indefinite closure.
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I just can't believe this thread has been revived yet again. How is this tunnel so much more problematic than the other Alpine tunnels!
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@recz, looks like there has been an electrical fault, which probably activated the smoke detection system, nothing major, and probably all over by tomorrow. Link now saying closed until 8pm tomorrow.
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Looks like tunnel opened yesterday

#InfoRouteOisans ⚠️TUNNEL DU CHAMBON ⚠️
Suite à l'incident électrique et à sa fermeture,
❗RÉOUVERTURE DU TUNNEL ET DE LA RD 1091❗
dès ce samedi 27/10.
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@Alpinebear, yes it has, came up on my newsfeed on FB this morning
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Just as well as Galibier is closed
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Only till 7/6/2019............
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