Convoys of agricultural trucks are already crossing the Portalet

Truck convoys have already been crossing the Portalet since Tuesday, although they are limited to transporting live animals, straw and fodder. The meeting point on the Spanish side is the Formigal car park and the organising body is the French Chamber of Agriculture. This was established by the decree published on Monday by the Department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, which allowed this organisation as a provisional solution to the closure of the Somport tunnel due to the sinkhole on the RN-134 road.

In parallel, the French government has started the preliminary phase of the works at this point, the most affected by the storm, which caused incidents in another 25 kilometres of the network. During the week, according to the order issued by France, the necessary means to carry out the works will be determined. Afterwards, these works will consist of filling the gap with some of the existing materials, the asphalting of the new road surface on this base and the installation of a retaining wall at the end of the embankment.

This will happen in the coming months, with the aim of having the new road operational again in January and the Somport tunnel reopened. Around one million euros will be invested in fixing the sinkhole alone.