European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 30, 1962, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Writer through Metter Hihl Voth the Flag lit Tui As Mil loss t clawing through 30,000 feet of Roc  Bernard pass tsp for pit Pipilis big touches lures cent lighting Over 584jb3eoot-wide Road Way Yenull Atlin equipment Small area sit Wimch to Emert nuyt arc or turn around water hydrants and telephones and it Sready for business. The St Bernard Tunnel links St rhe Myin ital with Bourg St Pierre Switzer land. But 12 Miles West of St Rheamy another Tunnel a Fiore staggering chore is also nearing  is the a omit Blanc Tunnel Between Cour Mayev Italy and Chamonix France a dust aftic of 7 Miles. Workmen Are sweating and blasting through the last mile there where a recent Snow slide took three lives and injured 35 other  Ift Elfi earlier water spurted through a crack if the Tunnel at the rate of 250 Gallons a second slowing work for awhile. In spite of the setbacks the same Flag and Hari shake ceremony should be history by the end of this year and cars should be rolling through the end of next. As for the St Bernard tunne40 months of work went into cracking through the last three feet. And traffic should be travelling through sometime next summer. The St Bernard begins at 5,315 feet on the italian Side and rises 46 feet to its Swiss exit while the Mont Blanc Tunnel starts at the 4,530-foot-Allitude and drops 350, feet in its journey to Chamonix. Operations on the italian Side of St Bernard handled by italian engineers and workers while Swiss tunnelled through their Side met with difficulties because of a tendency of the Rock to crumble. This was overcome by digging along the upper and lower parts simultaneously slap Ping on a Concrete dressing along the Way and then working Down Over the Walls. Fifty thousand ions of Concrete Are going into the operation meanwhile a Broad Highway with gentle curves has been completed on the italian Side and will soon be in shape on the Swiss approach. Heretofore All Mountain passes in the vast Alpine sweep from Mong Nero to Brenner have been closed to traffic in Winter with the exception of shuttle train service at the Simpson and Gotthard passes because of Snow and Avalanche threats. But the new approaches Are guarded by reinforced Concrete structures and heating devices within the Highway itself to keep it Clear of Snow. When open the St. Bernard Tunnel willbe capable of serving 400-500 vehicles an hour. And the Cost will be moderate about $1.50 for Small cars and up to 13.50 for larger vehicles. Through the modern wonder of euro vision the television network of All Western european countries joined by some communist countries for certain event millions of persons witnessed the great event the first Tunnel under the 400-mile-Long Chain of mountains spread ing along France Switzerland Italy an Austria a Rocky frigid Barrier that has separated and now joins Northern and Southern Europe. When both tunnels Are completed the Highway distance Between Paris and Rome will be 124 Miles less and the drive from Turin to Geneva now 196 Miles in sum Mer and 490 Miles in Winter when Snow causes a Detour to the Riviera and around the Alps will be 167 Miles anytime. A vet Tot of  to St. Rheamy Italy Entrance to Hie Mont Blanc Tunnel near Chamonix France. The other end it at Corr voyeur Italy. A we ig-le4idrvp to the Entrance of the St. Bernard funnel at right on the italian a e. D. The stasis and stapes Alps near St Rheamy. Keyton photo