The Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune, announced Tuesday that several planned sections would not see the light of day, without specifying which ones. Their list is promised for October.
“At a time of ecological planning, we cannot do as before”, assures Clément Beaune. Several highway projects will be stopped “in the next weeks”, announced the Minister for Transport on Tuesday September 26 on France Inter. Because, if France wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for global warming, by 55% by 2030, as Emmanuel Macron repeated again on Monday, the transport sector is an essential lever. It actually represents the leading source of CO2 emissions in France (28%), according to the Ministry of Energy Transition. And private cars account for more than half of these.
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There is no question of stopping the projects that have already started: “We are going to reduce their impact on the environment”, promised Clément Beaune. Regarding the projects “which have not yet been launched, we are going to maintain some of them, since there are some that are useful, and we are going to stop some of them”, continued the minister. Which ? “Around ten projects are being studied, and the results of the review will be made public in the coming weeks, in October”, responds the ministry to franceinfo. The choice will be made “in view of current issues”among which are cited ” the fight against land artificialization” And “reducing CO2 emissions”. But also taking into account “socioeconomic interest” of the planned highway, its contribution in terms of “opening up of territories”and of “local acceptability” of the project.
Projects in Bordeaux, Arles, Thionville or Roissy
One thing is certain: the A69 between Toulouse (Haute-Garonne) and Castres (Tarn), against which hunger strike activist Thomas Brail is fighting, will be well built, as Clément Beaune explained on Tuesday. What about the other sections? While awaiting government details, franceinfo draws up a map of the motorway projects under construction or envisaged, mentioned by the Ministry of Ecological Transition or by the various regional directorates of the environment, planning and housing (Dreal ).
Some of these projects are already under construction, such as the Roissy eastern bypass (Val-d’Oise), the commissioning of which is expected soon. But others remain uncertain and spark more debate. Collectives are fighting against the A154-A120 project in Eure-et-Loir, reports Republican Echo . In Bordeaux, residents are expressing their dissatisfaction with the implementation of new tolls as part of the development of the A63, according to France Bleu Gironde. As for the Poitiers-Limoges connection, it is Clément Beaune himself who seems to have buried it: “I don’t think it’s a good project. I even think it’s a bad project”he declared on the microphone of France Bleu Limousin last May.