A month after several landslides on the Val d’Anniviers cantonal road, the reopening is approaching. It is scheduled for early May. In order to prevent any further rock release, the authorities are putting in place a new system to interrupt traffic in the event of an alert.
During the night of March 23 to 24, several blocks broke away shortly before Vissoie (VS). Fortunately, no cars were passing at the time. In the following days, more stones fell. One of them had pierced the roof of the Galerie des Croisettes.
“We learn every day. We realize that we were lucky that there was no accident. Now we have to try to restore that as quickly as possible and make the place safe” , warns Claude Peters, head of the security service of the Municipality of Anniviers, in La Matinale on Thursday.
>> Reread: A landslide near Vissoie cuts the road towards Val d’Anniviers
>> Watch the images of the landslide at 7:30 p.m. again:
Alert and traffic lights
The rock mass overhanging the road remains unstable. Before reopening the section, the canton of Valais is participating in the implementation of a safety system that is still rare in the region. “It will allow us to follow the evolution, to see how things are moving and to anticipate a new landslide,” adds, binoculars in hand, Claude Peters.
The alarm system is connected to traffic lights which will be triggered automatically in the event of ground movement. Testing is in the final stages.
“The objective is to calibrate the laser. It will detect the blocks which can leave from the top of the corridor, then turn the traffic lights red and block the traffic,” explains the sector’s vision officer, Alby Aymon.
>> To find out more, read: The Sierre-Vissoie road could reopen at the beginning of May, thanks to an alarm system
Successful tests
To make sure everything works, some rocks have been mined to simulate the landslide. The alarm was then triggered within seconds, causing the lights to turn red and thus blocking access to vehicles on the main road. The exercise is successful. “Now, this must be confirmed in practice with the reopening of the road,” smiles Alby Aymon.
The final decision will be made at the beginning of next week. Work will still have to be carried out, in particular to repair the pierced gallery. They will be carried out without affecting the restored traffic. For the moment, the diversion via Chalais-Vercorin remains in place.
Emilien Verdon
