BONNEVAL SUR ARC Snow removal along the road to Col de l’Iseran is continuing during these days on Maurienne side, after the entire Val d’Isère road cleansing made by the workers of Savoy departmental board. Public vehicles are working to clean D902 road in the last part, between Neiges bridge and the access to Pissaillas glacier, where the summer skiig is practiced.
“The extraordinary quantity of snow, fallen during the passed winter-spring season and the risk of snow blocks, has obliged public workers to a hard and long work, also because some facilities has been damaged”, Savoy department said. Some road parts were completely cutted by landslides between two snow walls until 7 meters high.
This fact, in these first summer days, will guarantee an extraordinary natural show on the climb to the highest french hill, 2.764 meters high, despite road signs write 2.770.
It’s in Savoy, inside Vanoise National Park, between Vanoise mountains and Graie Alps, a few kilometers by MontCenis and Susa Valley and it’s a classic destination for two wheels lovers, linking Arc Valley in Maurienne and Isère Valley in Tarentaise.
In 17th century, when Savoy was part of the Duchy and then of the Reign of Sardinia, this road was a simple mule track, used to deliver Beaufortin Cheese in Piedmont through Moncenisio Pass. Only in 1912 it was decided to include this road into Route Des Grandes Alpes. In 1929, 600 workers build the 29 kilometers. The French President at that time, Albert Lebrun, inaugurated the modern road on july 10th 1937. The Chapel on the hill is dedicated to Our Lady of prudence, it was built in 1939 and it is considered part of XX century monuments.