Does the shortage of bitumen threaten public works? The supply was already complicated, but there the professionals of the sector alert: after an already tense beginning of summer, they risk to be dry because of the fall of productions of our refineries.
A situation all the more worrying that the largest refinery in France will be stopped completely this Sunday, for maintenance work. Consequence: road works soon stopped, and others reported in some areas. "Usually, we call the day before for the next day and we are delivered.There, it is already necessary to wait 48 hours to have an answer", testifies Willy Wojciechowski, director of a platform of public works of Essonne. "We are worried about not being able to maintain the activity, worried about being able to honor the current contracts", he adds.
A shortage during the peak of activity from September to October
Of the 600,000 tons of bitumen needed for our road construction sites by the winter, it could be over 100,000. A situation that comes at the worst time, since the months of "September and October represent a peak of activity very strong before the winter", explains Pierre de Thé, of Routes de France. A peak that should be even higher than usual because of the municipal elections in 2020: "This is a period during which communities tend to put a little more pressure to complete the work before the ballot, "he explains.
And the problem is that there is no substitute product: we will have to deal with this shortage. That means repelling some projects, and scoring late penalties, "15,000 euros for fifteen days", slips to the microphone of Europe 1 Willy Wojciechowski. Not to mention the employees partly unemployed, lack of work. A worrying situation that has pushed the Ministry of Transport to open a special cell to monitor this situation closely.