The Bielsa tunnel reopens with a temporary traffic light-controlled passage

The A-138 road was reopened to traffic this Friday, after being closed since 7 September, when heavy rains and the subsequent rise of the Barrosa River caused a large part of the road to break. This afternoon, the road that provides access to the border with France was reopened after a temporary repair.

Specifically, a lane has been created that operates using traffic lights to control traffic. To this end, a stone foundation has been laid to support the embankment on which the detour has been made and on which, in turn, a layer of artificial gravel has been placed, on top of which a layer of agglomerate six centimetres thick has been poured . Adverse weather conditions have prevented the final works from starting until after midday. The Director General of Roads, Miguel Ángel Arminio, has today supervised the works to reopen the A-138 in Bielsa.

With this action, undertaken in less than two weeks since the last DANA caused damage to various 
roads in the Pyrenees, one of the two border crossings that remained closed is reopened and allows the 
transit of all types of vehicles, including trucks, except those transporting dangerous goods, given the limitations of the Bielsa-Aragnouet tunnel in relation to this type of load.

OTHER ALTERNATIVE STEPS IN THE PYRENEES

It should be remembered that this alternative passage regulated by traffic lights is added to the existing one at kilometre 80 that allows communication with Bielsa of the towns of Parzán and Chisagües, which were cut off for several hours on 7 September due to a bite caused by the extraordinary growth of the river flow.

It is therefore recommended that drivers travelling on both sections of the A-138 take extreme caution and respect the signs and speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour at all times on the affected sections.