Saint-Denis of Reunion (AFP)
The New Coastal Road (NRL), titanic site of a sea lane connecting the north to the west of Reunion, is at a standstill for lack of stones. The regional council wants to do everything possible to continue the project that the environmentalists have obtained the blockage.
The NRL is intended to replace the current four lanes between Saint-Denis (north) and the west coast, a vital circulation axis for the island's economy, regularly saturated by the increasing flow of vehicles.
"The outcome of this project is a priority to meet a challenge of development of the territory and safety of road users," said the prefecture in 2018. Because the current road, which runs along an unstable cliff, is very dangerous. Twenty people have been killed in screes since this road was commissioned in 1976.
Begun in 2014, the project was to be completed in 2022. But the delivery of the new 12.7 km long road is now planned around 2025, at best.
The commissioning of a half-road is even envisaged for 2021, because the NRL is divided into two parts: a viaduct portion, 5.4 km long between Saint-Denis and the Grande Chaloupe, completed since March 2019. And a part dike, between the Grande Chaloupe and the Possession (west), at the stop.
As the market leader, the Bouygues-Vinci Group said ten days ago that for lack of massive rock to continue construction, the yard would be stopped in March.
Involved, a series of legal setbacks concerning local careers, including that of Bois Blanc (southwest of the island), to supply the site.
The dike project provoked an outcry from environmental movements defending the preservation of the environment, and residents, worried about the consequences of opening a quarry on their health.
A cascade of appeals has been lodged before all the competent courts against almost all the prefectural decrees authorizing the quarries. Each time, the applicants won their case. In July, the Council of State definitely canceled the departmental career plan.
The President of the region Didier Robert (formerly LR) and some elected officials were also the subject, in October 2015, of searches in a preliminary investigation for corruption when awarding contracts for this new route.
- "Right price"-
Monday, Mr. Robert, the owner of the NRL, assured that he intended "to ensure that (this site) is conducted within the strict framework of regulation (?) And at a fair price for the community with regard to contracts with the group and certainly not at the expense of the local economy.
An announcement made after a meeting with motor carriers, who threatened to block the island, worried about their activities and "the survival of (their) companies."
The region has not given any indication of a possible financial extension for this market, which was initially estimated at 1.6 billion euros and is now close to 2 billion euros (financed by the region, the State and Europe). Didier Robert however announced that "the community will take, before the end of October, a decision", after meeting the representatives of the grouping.
The financial extension, if awarded, could allow the group to acquire the "windrows", massive rocks located in farmers' fields.
A study by the Land Development and Rural Settlement Society (Safer) estimates this deposit at 2.6 million tonnes. It takes 3.5 million to complete the dike. "But it's not bad, we can continue to work until the situation is unlocked for careers," said a carrier.
"It would be best to stop stubborn and decide to build a road in any viaduct", note members of the collective Touch Pa Nout Roche (do not touch our rocks), which called Friday in an open letter all parliamentarians "to promptly order a parliamentary commission of inquiry" on this dike.
© 2019 AFP