Mt Blanc tunnel to re-open in days

The Mont Blanc Tunnel has been closed to traffic since the fire in 1999

PARIS, France -- The Mont Blanc tunnel is to re-open at the weekend, almost three years after its closure following a fatal fire in which 39 motorists perished.

The Alpine link will open to car traffic on Saturday, March 9, French Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot told LCI television on Tuesday.

He said the tunnel would re-open to freight lorries after mid-March.

The decision was taken after final security checks on the tunnel on Monday by ATMB, the French operator of the route linking France and Italy.

The 11.6-km (7.2-mile) tunnel has been closed since the tragedy in March 1999 that began when a lorry caught fire.

Last month the company discovered cracks deep inside the tunnel forcing further repairs and forcing the cancellation of a mid-February opening.

"Security has been considerably reinforced," Gayssot said, adding that lorries carrying dangerous substances would not be allowed to travel through the tunnel, meaning traffic would be lighter than before the tragedy.

It was the third time a projected opening was scrapped.

The re-opening to cars was originally postponed from an initial date of December 15 to December 22, but then postponed again when ATMB announced safety checks would not be competed in time.

At the time Italy's Transport Minister Pietro Lunardi demanded an inquiry and said: "It is unheard of that there should still be technical problems after such a long time."

European Union Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio warned last week the 15-nation bloc could take action against France over continued delays.

The situation was made worse by other Alpine tunnels also being closed after fatal fires.

The Gotthard tunnel through the Swiss Alps was reopened in December after being shut in October after a crash that killed 11 people.