Tunnel operations & safety on the agenda in France
- Arild Søvik
- for 1 døgn siden
- 2 min lesing
In March 2026, the World Road Association (PIARC) hosted a meeting for members within PIARC’s Technical Committee 4.4 on Tunnel Operations to share knowledge and best practices on road tunnel operations and safety. The meetings took place in the beautiful surroundings of Annecy. Later that week, the committee presented its latest reports and findings at the World Congress on Winter Road Service in Chambéry. We also took part in a technical visit to the Tunnel du Chat, a 1,486-meter-long bidirectional road tunnel that includes a dedicated safety gallery for cyclists and pedestrians.
In the PIARC committee meetings, we discuss how to make road tunnels safer, more sustainable, and better suited to new mobility trends and technologies. The work is organized into workgroups and task forces, which produce technical reports and briefing notes on topics like tunnel resilience, maintenance practices, active modes, and new propulsion technologies.
These workgroups also carry out case studies and gather guidance from tunnel operators worldwide, contributing to the PIARC Road Tunnels Manual and the wider knowledge base on road tunnel operations.
The committee’s presentations at the 17th World Congress on Road Winter Service included the final Technical Report on Resilience from the 2020-2023 Work Cycle, as well as the results of the resilience session held during the International Seminar on Tunnels in China. The commitee also presented initial outputs of TC4.4, focusing on the sustainable operation of tunnels, active mobility users in road tunnels, and the digitalization of tunnel operations.
The last day, we visited the Tunel du Chat, a 1,486-meter-long bidirectional road tunnel featuring a dedicated safety gallery for cyclists and pedestrians. Tunnel du Chat pierces the Mont du Chat massif to connect the area of Aix‑les‑Bains and Lac du Bourget with the Rhône valley near Yenne, providing a faster alternative to the older, winding Col du Chat mountain road.
In 2017, the original tube was reopened after being upgraded to modern standards, while the new tube serves mainly as a safety gallery and a protected route for cyclists and pedestrians. In the main tunnel, the speed limit is 50 km/h, with safety distances required— 100 meters between heavy vehicles over 3.5 tons and 50 meters for light vehicles and motorbikes. Heavy vehicles over 7.5 tons (trucks, coaches) are generally banned except for local traffic, with automatic plate recognition enforcing the rule.
Just a quick reminder on traffic safety: we had an accident in the tunnel while we were outside the tunnel for lunch. The accident involved a large truck and a smaller vehicle.
Annecy and its surroundings proved to be an ideal location for our meeting and technical visit. I appreciate the French delegation for hosting such a well-organized event.
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