Col de Tende Road Tunnel
| Colle di Tenda road tunnel | |
|---|---|
Portal on Italian side | |
Interactive map of Colle di Tenda road tunnel | |
| Overview | |
| Official name | Traforo stradale del Colle di Tenda (in Italian) Tunnel routier du col de Tende (in French) |
| Location | Colle di Tenda, Italy/France |
| Coordinates | 44°9′12″N 7°34′16″E / 44.15333°N 7.57111°E |
| Crosses | Colle di Tenda |
| Start | France |
| End | Italy |
| Operation | |
| Work begun | 1873 |
| Opened | 1882 |
| Closed | 2020 |
| Reopened | Partially reopened in 2025 |
| Technical | |
| Design engineer | Giovanni Delfino |
| Length | 3182 m |
| No. of lanes | 1 with alternating direction of traffic |
| Highest elevation | 1321 m (French side) |
| Lowest elevation | 1280 m (Italian side) |
The Colle di Tenda road tunnel is a tunnel located between Italy and France under the Colle di Tenda. It links Limone Piemonte, Piedmont, Italy with Tende, Alpes-Maritimes, France. It can be reached via the Strada Statale 20 on the Italian side and the RD 6204 on the French side. These two roads form the European route E74.
The tunnel provides a quick and direct connection between the Italian cities of Cuneo and its homonymous province, and the city of Ventimiglia located in the Province of Imperia in Liguria, while also connecting the French towns of the Maritime Alps.
Designed by engineer Giovanni Delfino, it was, at the time of its opening in 1882, the longest road tunnel ever built, with a length of 3,182 meters.
At the time of its inauguration, it was entirely within the Kingdom of Italy. Following the Paris Peace Treaties (1947), it was divided between Italy and France.