North end of the French-Spanish village of Le Perthus-El Portús (Els Límits), seen from the Fort de Bellegarde (France).
The Perpignan-Figueres HSL will run through the Alberes Tunnel (8171m) at this stage.
Interestingly, the tunnel will be routed some 110m underneath the border point where Motorways A9 and A7 converge...
The French-Spanish border actually stands further right (off-pic, shortly beyond the motorway bridge).
The route marked in pink is that originally planned for the cross-border tunnel.
It was dropped in 1991, owing to serious risk of subsidence in the surroundings of the French Portal (Maureillas). It would actually have run pretty much in parrallel to Motorway A9.
Fort de Bellegarde (Le Perthus-Els Límits).
21st February 2005.
P.L.Guillemin (plguillemin@yahoo.fr)