The Great West Bypass (GCO) of Strasbourg, the A355, was opened to traffic on 17 December.
A little over a month later, has it reduced traffic on the M35, the axis that cuts through Strasbourg?
Undoubtedly, even if cars still rarely use it.
We followed a HGV control operation on the M35 on Tuesday.
Since the opening of the GCO, they are prohibited from passing through it.
But some drivers are still wrong, voluntarily or not...
A controversy to begin with.
Opened on December 17, the A355 was first talked about by its signage, considered misleading by some.
But after more than a month of service, is the much-contested Grand Bypass West (GCO) of Strasbourg achieving its traffic targets?
Has he really lightened traffic on the M35, the axis that cuts through the Alsatian capital?
At a glance, there is no picture.
At any time of the day, the queues of cars seem much less important, well helped by a small number of trucks.
Observations that official figures confirm.
"We have observed a 35% drop in the volume of heavy goods vehicles, against -12% of light vehicles", announced on Tuesday the prefect of Bas-Rhin Josiane Chevalier.
Clearly, it would be today "about 5,500" trucks that would avoid the M35 and would refer elsewhere.
Mostly on the new 24 km section.
“We estimate that they are around 7,000 per day on average”, estimates for its part the concessionaire Vinci Autoroutes by the voice of Jean-Luc Fournier.
“It corresponds more or less to our expectations and we think that the users of the car will also soon get used to it.
Many do not yet have their GPS up to date.
»
“In their business, time is money!
»
This argument, admitted by the police, is also the one used by most truck drivers caught on the M35. They have an obligation to pass through the GCO, except in the case of delivery, order, repair, in short professional obligation in the Strasbourg area. But with a toll of up to €16.60 on the new A355, some are still trying the old route...
This Tuesday, an unannounced check was precisely organized at the height of Ostwald, in the south-north direction.
For about two hours, the police multiplied the fines.
Often against foreign drivers.
Why them?
Because they are stopped more often... "It is certain that we spot them more because, for Hungarians, Poles, etc., there is a good chance that they are in transit and therefore have nothing to do there", details Chef Munier, of the Strasbourg motorway CRS.
The offenders all left with a fine of 90 euros.
"And above all an immobilization of their truck so that we can carry out all the checks", specifies Commander Glorian.
“All this can take thirty minutes or more.
In their business, time is money!
No really, it is not a good calculation not to respect the law.
»
He assures us that checks have been carried out very regularly since mid-December. Before, perhaps, being supported by automatic speed cameras. To control heavy goods vehicles, but also, and of course, the speed of all vehicles. Even to check that those who take the lane reserved for carpooling are indeed several in the passenger compartment. “We have made a request to this effect, studies are in progress”, assures Pia Imbs, the president of the Eurometropolis.
“People shouldn't think they can accelerate because the axis is much freer than before.
I remind you: there has been no fatal accident since December 2020 on the M35, ”adds Commander Glorian, head of operations on Tuesday.
Some of his men sometimes struggled to make themselves understood by the drivers being checked.
"We handle the main languages but otherwise we take our phones with Google trad", laughs one of them.
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