Envalira Tunnel
Although situated within the borders of Andorra, the entrance at Pas de la Casa can be reached only via a bridge that is situated in France. The Andorra/France border post is therefore situated 2 km within France, northeast of the access bridge, on RN22. On the French side it is connected to RN22, and on the Andorran side to the CGII.
Plans for a tunnel were developed in Andorra during the late 1950s. In 1963, the Envalira Tunnel design tender was awarded to French engineers Semet and Phillip Studies, and subsequent negotiations were conducted for years and the access roads were improved. On June 1, 1999, Spanish companies FCC and NECSO (today ACCIONA) began construction work on the Grau Roig side of the massif; and on August 2, 1999, work began on the Pas de la Casa side.
Operator and concession
The tunnel is operated by Net de Gerrers, an alternative asset manager with headquarters in Valencia, Spain, as a toll tunnel. The concession period is for 50 years. The construction cost was 11 billion pesetas (approx. 80 million euros).
References
- ^ "Safety - Tunel Envalira". tuneldenvalira.com. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ^ "Home - Tunel Envalira". tuneldenvalira.com. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ^ "Globalvia - Concesiones". globalvia.com. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
- ^ Orduña, Maria Cristina (September 2, 1999). "HERMÍNIA SIRVENT Andorra inicia las obras de perforación del túnel de Envalira". El País – via elpais.com.