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Diari de Catalunya

RN20 closure in France due to rockfall will last weeks, severely impacting Pas de la Casa

The main access route to Andorra from France, closed since January 31, has caused a 70% drop in commercial turnover in Pas de la Casa.

Generic image of a mountain road closed due to a large rockfall.
IA

Generic image of a mountain road closed due to a large rockfall.

The Prefect of Ariège, Hervé Brabant, confirmed that the RN20 road, the main access to Andorra, will remain closed for weeks following the January 31 rockfall, causing severe economic losses in Pas de la Casa.

The RN20 route, connecting France with Andorra, became completely impassable following a major rockfall recorded on Saturday, January 31, between Ax-les-Thermes and L'Hospitalet. According to Hervé Brabant, the Prefect of Ariège, the closure will last for several weeks due to the high risk of further landslides.
The economic impact is particularly severe at the border, where commerce in Pas de la Casa has seen its turnover drop by 70%, according to Gerard Pifarré, a member of the Pas de la Casa Economic and Social Council. This situation has forced the Government of Andorra to study support measures.
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"The extent of the impact of the landslide on the economic activity of the Pass still needs to be fully calculated, but the prospects are not very optimistic."

Xavier Espot · Head of the Government of Andorra
Head of Government, Xavier Espot, has offered the full availability of Andorran emergency services to the population of L'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre and is considering escalating the dossier to the French President and Co-Prince of Andorra, Emmanuel Macron, to expedite a solution.
From the Andorran opposition, Cerni Escalé, president of the Concòrdia parliamentary group, criticized the slow response of the Government, pointing to a lack of foresight regarding the condition of such a crucial access route for the country's economy.

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