• Six buildings in the historic center of Bordeaux are evacuated this Wednesday before 6 p.m. because of a risk of collapse.

  • Number 12 bis of this square presents an interior load-bearing wall in a worrying state which motivated the decision of the expert with the administrative court, requested by the city.

  • Security work must be carried out on site within three weeks and a security perimeter for passers-by will be installed by Wednesday evening.

Some shopkeepers in Place Gambetta have already lowered the curtain, others are busy putting away their stocks this Wednesday morning;

And those we meet indicate with a gesture that they do not have the heart to express themselves.

Six buildings in this charming square, recently refurbished, will be evacuated by 6 p.m. this Wednesday, due to a risk of collapse.

Six apartments, six shops and two companies will have to pack up for an indefinite period.

Everyone has in mind the collapse, on June 21, 2021 in the middle of the night, of two 16th century buildings, rue de la Rousselle.

Weaknesses identified on a building

Cracks on the facade of 12 bis alerted an employee of In Cité, concessionaire for the city of Bordeaux for the development of the historic center, who is used to passing in front of these facades.

On Monday, an expert from the administrative court requested by the city went to the site.

Its conclusions, made this morning, report a worrying situation mainly because of an interior load-bearing wall of 12 bis "which is particularly weakened and which could collapse", explains Stéphane Pfeiffer, housing assistant.

For fear of a domino effect, five buildings neighboring 12 bis (11, 12, 13, 14 and 111 rue Porte Dijeaux) are also affected by the evacuation.

The expert specified that it was necessary to organize the departure of the occupants within 24 hours and to initiate security work within three weeks.

Shoring will be made inside as well as bracing of the facades.

And, in front of the 12 bis and 13 of the square, easels will be installed.

A lack of maintenance?

In these buildings, mainly occupied by traders, an operating ban order will allow professionals to turn to their insurers to deal with their loss of activity.

Tenants who need it will be accompanied by the town hall for rehousing even if it specifies that it is in the first place for the owners to take charge of it.

The building had not yet been reported to the town hall.

“We know that there has never been any intervention from a design office and, according to the first elements, a lack of maintenance would be in question”, advances the housing assistant.

He recalls that the city has set up aid to encourage owners to carry out appraisals on their property.

Work on the renovation of Porte Dijeaux will be interrupted, as they were coming to an end in a week, to secure businesses and passers-by.

The passage under the Porte Dijeaux may remain open.

All around the buildings concerned "a security perimeter is being delimited to organize the wandering", specifies Amine Smihi, security assistant.

The report by experts from the Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB) on the health check of the historic center of Bordeaux, launched after the collapses on rue de la Rousselle, is expected in early 2023.

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Bordeaux: Buildings evacuated after the collapse of a load-bearing wall

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