The operator of the Mont Blanc Tunnel (ATMB) has issued an urgent traffic bulletin confirming complete closures of the trans-Alpine road link each night from 19 to 22 May (22:00–06:00) for planned maintenance. The tunnel is a critical artery for Swiss exporters moving goods to France, Italy and Spain and for time-sensitive just-in-time deliveries into the Geneva and Vaud cantons. Hauliers are being diverted to the Fréjus or Great-St-Bernard routes, adding up to 150 kilometres and at least two hours to a Geneva-Milan round trip. Swiss logistics providers Kuehne + Nagel and Planzer estimate additional costs of CHF 350–450 per articulated truck because of higher tolls and extra driver hours. Temperature-controlled pharma shipments from Basel to Italian distribution hubs are among the flows most affected. Passenger mobility is also hit: several Geneva-based coach operators have rerouted corporate shuttles for watch-industry suppliers attending meetings in Turin, while Swiss tourists heading to the Ligurian coast face longer night-time journeys. Travellers with early-morning flights from Milan Malpensa are advised to cross the border before 22:00 or book rail alternatives such as the EuroCity via the Simplon. The Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) reminds Swiss-plated trucks that detours through France require compliance with French cabotage limits and different weekend driving bans. Mobility managers should update routing instructions in their transport management systems and alert drivers to the heightened gendarmerie checks near Chamonix during the works window.
