The Directorate of Roads Île-de-France confirmed that the RN 7 tunnel beneath Paris-Orly Airport will be closed in both directions from 22:00 on 8 October to 05:00 on 9 October for scheduled maintenance. The work affects the primary road artery linking Orly’s Terminals 3 and 4 with the A86 périphérique and the Rungis logistics zone. Although the shutdown occurs overnight, mobility providers warn that late-evening departures—especially long-haul flights to the Middle East and Africa—may see increased taxi times as access roads funnel into a single-lane detour via Paray-Vieille-Poste. Shuttle operators such as Le Bus Direct have announced a 15-minute schedule extension for the last runs to Gare Montparnasse and Gare de Lyon. Ride-sharing platforms report surge-pricing multipliers of up to 1.8× during previous closures, and corporate ground-transport teams are advising travellers to pre-book cars or consider the OrlyVal-RER B rail link, albeit with potential strike-related delays (see separate article). The tunnel is next slated to close on 5–6 November and 3–4 December. Facilities managers whose assignees store vehicles at Orly’s long-stay car parks should circulate the schedule to minimise missed check-ins. From a regulatory standpoint, the closure forms part of the Ministry of Transport’s "Agenda-Tunnels" safety programme introduced after the 2024 Savoie tunnel fire. Compliance audits require monthly night-time ventilation and lighting tests in all tunnels exceeding 300 metres on the national network.
Source: Paray-Vieille-Poste Municipality
