Tunnel Provisions

1. Background

 The commission has announced in its WHITE PAPER "European transport policy for 2010 : time to decide" from 12 th of September 2001 that it will come up with proposals concerning minimum requirements for safety of tunnels in the trans-European road network (TERN).

The thereon created directive 2004/54/EG is now describing the minimum requirements to the safety of tunnels (view own chapter). Besides the constructional measures for improvement of tunnel safety, improvement on harmonization of road signs and pictograms on variable message signing shall be brought forward.

The directive 2004/54/EG demands for the transport of dangerous goods:

• perform a risk analysis in accordance with Article 13 before the regulations and requirements regarding the
  transportation of dangerous goods through a tunnel are defined or modified,
  
• place appropriate signs to enforce the regulation before the last possible exit before the tunnel and at tunnel
  entrances, as well as in advance so as to allow drivers to choose alternative routes,
  
• consider specific operating measures designed to reduce the risks related to some or all of the vehicles transporting
  dangerous goods in tunnels, such as declaration before entering or passage in convoys escorted by
  accompanying vehicles, on a case by case basis further to the aforementioned risk analysis.

This therefore means that for the risk assessment the (TERN-) Tunnel the transport of dangerous goods has to be taken into consideration. Through groups of dangerous goods and the connected risks (explosion risk, fires, release of toxic substances), the tunnels can be put into categories after risk assessment.

The tunnel restiction code of table A of the ADR 2007 says which dangerous goods cannot be passed through which tunnel.

Besides the member states are called upon this directive to ensure that road tunnels on their sovereign territory, which are not part of the trans-European road network and therefore not included in the directive, have comparable safety standards.

To ensure implementation of this directive, provisions concerning transport of dangerous goods in the ADR had to be changed.