Fréjus Tunnel Atmospheric Pressure

The management of the Fréjus Tunnel has announced that when the atmospheric pressure differs on both sides of the tunnel, traffic will no longer be alternated. Instead, the alternate traffic system will be replaced by a new security distance between vehicles. When the atmospheric pressure is over 5 millibars for over 30 minutes the new distance, to be respected by all categories of vehicles, is 300 metres for moving vehicles, and 200 metres when stationery (i.e. double the usual security distances.) The transport of dangerous goods is forbidden, and coaches will either be accompanied or escorted in convoy.

Furthermore, and regardless of atmospheric pressure, the security distance between stationery coaches and trucks has doubled. Coaches travelling behind LGVs will have to maintain a distance of 300 metres and, should traffic come to a standstill must stop at a minimum distance of 200 metres behind the preceding vehicle if it is an LGV.

i’ll be going through frejus on friday so I’ll let you know if this system is in place when i get back.

So will I Harry, give us a wave. :wink: :smiley: :smiley:

Hopefully there won’t be any atmospheric pressure problems so we won’t see it in operation. I guess there will be new signs though regarding distrances in the event of traffic coming to a halt.

i havent been to italy via frejus or blanc since the blanc fire we have been going via switzerland lately but boss says this is as expensive as going via alps now so going out through frejus and prolly back via blanc tunnel.

will be weekended milan or inbetween there and modena any suggestions for weekend parking?

Truckstop at Carisio - between Milan and Turin - would be my choice, not too far from Milan with good facilities, I may well be stopping there myself this weekend. On the south east corner of Milan, just of the San Giuliano Milanese turning there is a fairly new secure parking area, sits next to the exit on the west of the Tangenziale, but it does cost to park. There is a restaurant just across the road but I am not sure of its weekend opening hours.

As you haven’t been that way for a while, and I don’t know what kind of trailer you pull, remember that fridges cannot use the Blanc.

Also a return ticket for which ever tunnel is a saving over two singles so it may be prudent to use the same tunnel both ways, as far as I recall the return ticket is valid for 8 days.

If you fancy spending some time actualy in Milan over the weekend, there is a parking area which is easy to get to, just off the tram route and secure. There’s a restaurant there, but it closed fairly early Saturday night (10pm ish I think) and all day Sunday, however there are at least two other places in easy walking distance.

Its in Via Stevenson, the one that Murfitts used to use.
Coming from the Torino direction, go through the Rho peage and stay on the Tangianale Nord, heading for Venezia. Immediately after Pero services make sure you are in the inside (granny) lane, because that becomes the slip road onto Viale Certosa, which you want. There is a bridge over the road at the beginning of the slip road with a pillar between the main carriageway and what was the inside lane, so no late lane changes. Take the first slip road off Viale Certosa, signed Via Stevenson and take it fairly steadily. This is one of those slip roads where joiners and leavers have to cross paths, and this is Milan, Italy ( :unamused: I know, belabour the point why don’t I :smiley: ), there isn’t much room either. You will have seen a multi-story block by now, with Minolta across it. In front of this block is a small road to the right, off the slip road. Take that small road, you will see it and think “surely he didn’t mean that road !!!” , that’s the one :open_mouth: :smiley: . Not far down there you will see a hedge on your right, with a white building poking up above it. Turn in there. I don’t know how much parking costs, we used to park here on the company account, it won’t be cheap though.
Here is a map, marked where you want to be.

To get into Milan city centre (ask one of the other Brits or a Dutchman).
Walk back towards Viale Certosa, past the front of the Minolta block and follow the fence round it to the right. Turn left and go under Viale Certosa then turn left again and follow that alley round to the right. You will come to a very good Pizzeria at the end where this alley joins a main road. On the opposite side of the main road is a small news agent/coffee shop. You buy your tram tickets at these kinds of places before hand, they used to cost about £1,500 each (Lira, not pounds). There are tram stops near here, on the same side of the main road as the Pizzeria. I think it was the number 16 tram (always an old rickety one), just ask someone. (You want the tram for the Doumo, pronounced Dwomo as in “woe” is me). Once in the centre there is anything you might want. Pubs, clubs, cafés, restaurants, the inevitable McD’s. Places to go to improve your mind, places to sit and watch the world go by with a drink in your hand and places to go which could make your wife very angry (if she finds out). It is a major city and a tourist attraction, so prices reflect that. Beer isn’t cheap, spirits are expensive. But good food is pretty reasonable and decent Italian wines are cheap.

if you end up sightseeing the science museum is interesting and walkable from the cathederal which is well worth getting on the roof of[/url]

If you’re off to Modena, you could do a lot worse than parking at the old TIR park at Campogalliano. I haven’t been that way for ages, but i’m sure it is still all there.

Coffeeholic:
as far as I recall the return ticket is valid for 8 days.

I found out the other week that even if your return ticket has expired, you get a very reasonable reduction on your one-way ticket when you produce it…

Simon:
If you fancy spending some time actualy in Milan over the weekend, there is a parking area which is easy to get to, just off the tram route and secure. There’s a restaurant there, but it closed fairly early Saturday night (10pm ish I think) and all day Sunday, however there are at least two other places in easy walking distance.

Its in Via Stevenson, the one that Murfitts used to use.
Coming from the Torino direction, go through the Rho peage and stay on the Tangianale Nord, heading for Venezia. Immediately after Pero services make sure you are in the inside (granny) lane, because that becomes the slip road onto Viale Certosa, which you want. There is a bridge over the road at the beginning of the slip road with a pillar between the main carriageway and what was the inside lane, so no late lane changes. Take the first slip road off Viale Certosa, signed Via Stevenson and take it fairly steadily. This is one of those slip roads where joiners and leavers have to cross paths, and this is Milan, Italy ( :unamused: I know, belabour the point why don’t I :smiley: ), there isn’t much room either. You will have seen a multi-story block by now, with Minolta across it. In front of this block is a small road to the right, off the slip road. Take that small road, you will see it and think “surely he didn’t mean that road !!!” , that’s the one :open_mouth: :smiley: . Not far down there you will see a hedge on your right, with a white building poking up above it. Turn in there. I don’t know how much parking costs, we used to park here on the company account, it won’t be cheap though.
Here is a map, marked where you want to be.

To get into Milan city centre (ask one of the other Brits or a Dutchman).
Walk back towards Viale Certosa, past the front of the Minolta block and follow the fence round it to the right. Turn left and go under Viale Certosa then turn left again and follow that alley round to the right. You will come to a very good Pizzeria at the end where this alley joins a main road. On the opposite side of the main road is a small news agent/coffee shop. You buy your tram tickets at these kinds of places before hand, they used to cost about £1,500 each (Lira, not pounds). There are tram stops near here, on the same side of the main road as the Pizzeria. I think it was the number 16 tram (always an old rickety one), just ask someone. (You want the tram for the Doumo, pronounced Dwomo as in “woe” is me). Once in the centre there is anything you might want. Pubs, clubs, cafés, restaurants, the inevitable McD’s. Places to go to improve your mind, places to sit and watch the world go by with a drink in your hand and places to go which could make your wife very angry (if she finds out). It is a major city and a tourist attraction, so prices reflect that. Beer isn’t cheap, spirits are expensive. But good food is pretty reasonable and decent Italian wines are cheap.

We were in there regularly on RH. Its called Park Firenze.
NEVER got touched while parked in there…
Cracking restaurant too.
Showers however left a bit to be desired :laughing:

JB:
We were in there regularly on RH. Its called Park Firenze.
NEVER got touched while parked in there…
Cracking restaurant too.
Showers however left a bit to be desired :laughing:

:open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth:
I forgot to mention the showers :blush: :blush: :blush:

This is another place that was rumoured to be Mafia owned :unamused: :smiley: . I’ve never heard of anyone being touched in there. No idea what kept them out, I doubt it was the dogs and it definately wasn’t the fence.

Simon:
:open_mouth: :open_mouth: :open_mouth:
I forgot to mention the showers :blush: :blush: :blush:

This is another place that was rumoured to be Mafia owned :unamused: :smiley: . I’ve never heard of anyone being touched in there…

What…the Mafia owned the showers!!! :laughing: :laughing:

No dropping the soap in there then chaps!!! :open_mouth: :smiley:

Might wake up with a horses head in your cab :open_mouth: :laughing:

Went Frejus both ways in the end, and trucks were going in both directions.

On the way back, on tuesday I only saw one other British truck coming the other way all the way from Turin to Chambery.

Coffeeholic:
remember that fridges cannot use the Blanc.

hi neil
i went through the blanc the other day,first time for me since the fire,i noticed they had a special lane for fridge trailers near to the toll boths,i presumed they where there so that they could turn off the fridge prior to entering the tunnel.
if they dont allow fridges through what was the lane for :question:
by the way i bet your lass is doing her nut in you being away from home all that time.
regards
jon

jon boy 100:

Coffeeholic:
remember that fridges cannot use the Blanc.

hi neil
i went through the blanc the other day,first time for me since the fire,i noticed they had a special lane for fridge trailers near to the toll boths,i presumed they where there so that they could turn off the fridge prior to entering the tunnel.
if they dont allow fridges through what was the lane for :question:

No idea, but the restriction is a width restriction, you would have seen width restriction signs on the way up, so I guess that lane is for the narrower fridges

jon boy 100:
by the way i bet your lass is doing her nut in you being away from home all that time.

No, why would she? It is my job and it pays the bills and it has never been a problem, she never complains or even mentions the length of time. I go away, I come back at some point, that’s it… This is nowhere near the longest I have been away, it could end up that way though as I am still away.

hi neil
i thought the width restrictions said 2.55m which should be wide enough for a fridge.

the comment about your wife was because you dont normally spend that much time away these days
regards
jon

jon boy 100:
hi neil
i thought the width restrictions said 2.55m which should be wide enough for a fridge.

Most modern fridge trailers are 2.6m wide. The lane marked for fridges you saw could be for smaller trucks, or vans with fridge units. They did allow the wider trailers through while the Frejus was closed after the fire there, once it re-opened they were banned from the Blanc again.

How does this Atmospheric Pressures thing work Neil?

They were operating a system,when the atmospheric pressure differs by more than 5 millibars on the two sides, were two way truck traffic was halted and replaced with an alternating system. For a certain period, I think it was 30 minutes, they would hold the trucks heading from say France to Italy and only allow those travelling from Italy to France through the tunnel. After the set period they would halt the direction that was running and allow the ones heading the other way through. There were staging areas where they would hold the trucks and let so many go when the direction of flow changed. They had it worked so at no time were trucks travelling in opposite directions in the tunnel at the same time while this system was in operation.

Now they will no longer operate this system when the atmospheric pressure differs, and will continue to allow two way truck traffic with an increase in the distance between vehicles from the normal 150 metres to 300. There are blue lights on the tunnel wall every 150 metres and you must use these to make sure you maintain the correct gap.

When I went from France to Italy a week ago Monday, the staging area was empty and the signs were no longer in place directing all trucks to pass through.

Harry Monk:
Went Frejus both ways in the end, and trucks were going in both directions.

There would be. That was what the announcement said, they would not be using the single direction thing anymore so there should be two way truck traffic at all times.

Coffeeholic:
They were operating a system,when the atmospheric pressure differs by more than 5 millibars on the two sides, were two way truck traffic was halted and replaced with an alternating system. For a certain period, I think it was 30 minutes, they would hold the trucks heading from say France to Italy and only allow those travelling from Italy to France through the tunnel. After the set period they would halt the direction that was running and allow the ones heading the other way through. There were staging areas where they would hold the trucks and let so many go when the direction of flow changed. They had it worked so at no time were trucks travelling in opposite directions in the tunnel at the same time while this system was in operation.

Ok,thanks for the explanation, so I’m guesing that all this is for safety reasons?