Pyrénées road connecting France and Spain will be closed for months
Last weekend’s storms caused damage to the route in several places
The road is a vital artery between France and Spain through the mountain range
Préfecture Pyrénées-Atlantiques on X (Twitter)
A road through the Pyrénées mountain range that connects France and Spain is to be closed for several months after last weekend’s storms, local authorities have confirmed.
The RN134, running from Pau, through the French Pyrénées and into the Spanish border, was seriously damaged when fierce storms hit the mountain range.
Damage occurred on the road near the mountainous communes of Aspe, Urdos, Cette-Eygun and Etsaut, including a 50-metre hole in the road that appeared after a landslide.
Read more: Photo: 50-metre hole cuts road in two after storms in France
A second landslide caused by the storms also affected the road, near the pont de Larry.
Important works on the road in the area, at a cost of over €3 million, had recently finished in 2023, but did not prevent the damage.
It means that multiple sections of the road will have to be rebuilt entirely, closing the road off.
“Experts from the Ministry of Transport are arriving [today, September 11]. They are experts specialising in road infrastructure techniques,” said sub-prefect of the area Marion Aoustin-Roth at a press conference about the road damage yesterday (September 10).
“A very precise diagnosis of the road will be carried out, but also of the mountain environment in which the road runs. And then we'll have an estimate of how long the work will take,” she added, but confirmed “it will take quite a long time… several months.”
In addition, safety operations in the area continue. Hundreds of homes remain without electricity, and four mountainous communes have been entirely cut off from the mains water supply.
They are being supplied with bottled water for the time being, and local analyses of water in the area – to check for contamination – has recently been conducted.
Drivers face long alternative routes
The closure of the RN134 affects not only local residents and tourists driving along the picturesque road, but the flow of goods between France and Spain.
The RN134 is a popular route used by lorries, as it is generally quicker than other land-based routes between the two countries. In addition, the tolls on the road are cheaper.
However, the closure of the road means lorries will now be re-routed, likely to use roads though the Pays-Basque, by Biriatou (on the French side) and Irun (on the Spanish side) that are hundreds of kilometres away.
Depending on the final destination, tolls for lorries can cost more than €26 one-way on this route.
Read more: Why French motorway péage tariffs could be set to rise (a lot)
