Some projects are in the spotlight, but not the A69. “The State is determined to see it through”, since it was “decided democratically and systematically confirmed by the judge”, recalled the Ministry of Transport on Monday. The future of the much-maligned Toulouse-Castres motorway was thus decided, while environmental activists remained hopeful that it would simply be abandoned. On September 26, the Minister Delegate for Transport, Clément Beaune, announced that “several motorway projects” would be “stopped” in the name of “ecological planning”. “I will make strong decisions in the coming weeks,” Clément Beaune then affirmed, indicating that discussions were “still underway” on other motorway issues. What are these current projects in the country? Le Figaro takes stock.
In addition to the A69, the extension of the A104 in the north-eastern part of Paris is already well advanced. The goal is to bypass Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport to the northeast. Managed by the Île-de-France roads department (DiRIF), which tells us that “after the southern part opened in mid-2022, the opening to traffic of the rest of the length of the A104 (between the Mesnil -Amelot and the A1), will intervene gradually between the end of October and mid-November. The inauguration is planned for the coming months, at the end of 2023. At the same time, a major renovation campaign for the A104 roadways is also underway. Work which represents an investment of 4 million euros, financed by the State and the Region, to renovate 20 km of track, requiring 35,000 tonnes of asphalt.
As for the files still under discussion, the Rouen bypass (A133 and A134) is one of the four motorway projects identified as “priority” by the government. However, this is a very old ambition aimed at relieving congestion in the city, which is still waiting for its concessionaire. But as the legal appeals were rejected and its public utility confirmed, the project is still in progress: the sending of the consultation file to the selected candidates has been validated, and the submission of offers by the candidates is expected before the end of the ‘year. A phase of analysis will follow, then negotiation with the selected concessionaire before the concession contract comes into force towards the end of 2025.
Other projects under discussion: that of the motorway connection between the A154 and the A120 which should make it possible to complete the transverse axis between Rouen and Orléans by connecting already existing sections of expressway and by building diversions in Chartres and Dreux. But also that of the A412, called “LMT” for “Liaison Machilly Thonon-les-Bains”. It should allow the creation of a short motorway link of 16.5 km between Machilly and Thonon-les-Bains, near Lake Geneva in Haute-Savoie. A project declared of public utility after the cancellation of more ambitious projects.
Other projects, more or less successful and sometimes debated for years, are in such a situation. The first of these is the A31bis, designed to improve the Nancy-Metz-Luxembourg axis and allow the “reduction of road congestion” in the Grand Est region. If the public consultation is completed, the fact remains that this project launched in 2015 would still be under discussion with ministerial services.
Same thing for the Arles bypass (A54) which should not be completed before 2040 “in the best case scenario” according to specialists. In the meantime, a widening of the motorway would be “possibly possible in the long term if traffic requires it” except that today “the structures are not sized accordingly”. The widening of the A63 to the south of Bordeaux is also debated: much criticized, the project proposes a 2×3 lane development of the A63 motorway between the Bordeaux ring road and interchange no. 21 (35 km) and the discount at motorway level of the A660 towards Arcachon.
Finally, even if its fate has not yet been officially decided: the future of the A147 – which plans to connect Limoges to Poitiers in less than an hour – no longer leaves much room for doubt as the project is criticized both on the financial and environmental aspects. Recently, Clément Beaune even spoke on France Bleu on this subject, calling it “bad”. “I’m not going to prolong the suspense, even if we give all the answers at the same time, but I don’t think it’s a good project (…) We have to invest in the current route, it’s better on the environmental plan,” he said.
While waiting for the official list to be revealed “in the fall, in the coming weeks” according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the vagueness remains as to the question of knowing which new highways will really see the light of day. Meetings with the local elected officials concerned as well as with environmental associations are continuing on this subject. But the minister has already warned that we cannot “do as before”. He has already affirmed that certain “ongoing projects” would see “their impacts on the environment” be reduced, while those “which have not yet been launched” could either be maintained “because some are useful”, or be “arrested”.
But what are the criteria used by the ministry to decide whether or not to stop a project already underway, sometimes for many years? The choice will be made “taking into account current issues”, among which are cited “the fight against the artificialization of soils” and “the reduction of CO2 emissions”, specifies the ministry, which is also keen “at the same time” to take take into account “the socio-economic interest” of the planned motorway, “local acceptability” and the contribution in terms of “development and opening up of territories”.