On board a helicopter, the geologist of the Nice Côte d'Azur metropolis inspects the walls overlooking the route de la Vésubie -

M. Bernouin / ANP / 20 Minues

  • A geologist toured the Vésubie by helicopter on Friday to check the condition of the rock fall protection nets and the risk of landslides.

  • Major works on the damaged roads are continuing and could last for several months.

Sitting to the left of the pilot, Eric Descamps scrutinizes the cliff overlooking the road to the Vésubie valley (Alpes-Maritimes).

The helicopter, which landed directly on the RM 2565 closed to traffic, has just taken on board the geologist of the Nice Côte d'Azur metropolis, in charge of the roads of two of the three valleys ravaged by the storm Alex, to an inspection mission.

"We are going to check the boulder screens which secure the pavement against landslides are not loaded with rocks".

Ensuring that these huge nets are in good condition is the first step before sending teams to the ground.

The helicopter skirts the wall, of which the geologist inspects every square meter while the pilot keeps an eye down, on a "Dragon" of the Civil Security which descends the Vésubie in hod.

Between inspection missions, medical evacuations, searches for bodies and supplies to isolated villages, the valleys have become veritable air corridors.

Nothing to report here, heading north.

"We will remove the doubt"

Work has started at the entrance to Vésubie - M. Bernouin / ANP / 20 Minues

"At La Bollène-Vésubie we have been informed of blocks which could be unstable, we will remove the doubt".

Higher still in the valley, in Venanson, there are traces of landslides that must be checked.

Four five minutes of flight made it possible to cover an enormous territory across all of Vésubie.

Repairing, sometimes rebuilding the roads will take much longer.

Between Lantosque and Bollène-Vésubie, the road was washed away after the Mirail valley - M. Bernouin / ANP / 20 Minues

In Vésubie, construction machinery is already busy, but their number is limited and the task immense.

On the first collapse at the entrance to the valley, just 500 meters after the Durandy Bridge, workers transport huge boulders to backfill the bed of the river where it took the track.

In the meantime, you have to go through the passes to reach the villages: Turini to access Bollène-Vésubie, Saint-Roch to get to Lantosque.

In the Tinée, while awaiting the rehabilitation of the RM2205 between Bancairon and Rimplas, traffic is diverted to the old road.

Elsewhere, it may be necessary to install Bailey bridges to cross waterways.

And even where the road accesses are reopened, it is not recommended to go there unless absolutely necessary.

The prefect himself implored him: "I can only recommend, beg the residents not to embark on the roads because the priority is for relief convoys and because they are not secure"

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