From Col Du Galibier Royalty-Free Stock Photo

Col du Galibier (el. 2645 m.) is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is often the highest point of the Tour de France. It connects Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Briançon via the col du Télégraphe and the Col du Lautaret. The pass is closed during the winter. It is located between the massif d'Arvan-Villards and the massif des Cerces, taking its name from the secondary chain of mountains known as the Galibier. Before 1976, the tunnel was the only point of passage at the top, at an altitude of 2556 m. The tunnel was closed for restoration until 2002, and a new road was constructed over the summit. The re-opened tunnel is a single lane controlled by traffic lights which, at 2400 m., must be amongst the highest in Europe.