This is one of the many projects launched for the Olympic Games: a new motorway interchange to serve the future athletes’ village, in Saint Denis. But problem: these highway ramps will surround a school of 600 students.
“There is already enough pollution in the area so add more…” This mother, met at the end of the Anatole France school, in Saint Denis, is worried. “I am thinking of leaving. My son has asthma, so at some point you have to stop, it’s too much.” Another parent, for his part, laments: “It’s the Bronx everywhere! The work, the Olympics, the Olympic village, the tower which is being redone… The neighborhood is turned upside down. “
Soon, 13,000 and 14,000 vehicles are expected to pass both sides of the school daily. These new motorway ramps are financed by Solideo, the Olympic works delivery company, for a total cost of 95 million euros.
“We went back 30 years.”
Hamid Ouidir – parent of students
The result around the school is already visible. “Here there was a grove and today you have asphalt.” Hamid Ouidir, parents of students elected to FCPE 93, protests: “we cannot imagine a school caught between motorway ramps! We jumped back 30 years.”
However, according to the web page presenting the project, its project promoters insisted on its “environmental benefits for the territory”, and even on “better integration of nature in the city, conducive to welcoming biodiversity and adapting to climate change. ”
In reality, with the creation of this new road, traffic around the school will increase. Unicef has highlighted these changes in a report devoted to the exposure of children to pollution: “this exposure to air pollution has serious consequences on the health of children, and can lead to respiratory and immune problems, but also pathologies.”
Air pollution to be quantified
To quantify it, the Respire and Airparif associations have equipped the surroundings of the school with sensors. At present, the rates recorded are already worrying, even though the interchange has not yet entered service. “There, we see that we have several peaks at 75. We are well above 10 micrograms per cubic meter, which is the annual WHO recommendation.” Tony Renucci, general director of the Respire association, warns: “as soon as we have pollution levels which are above the WHO recommendations, there are serious health consequences on children because they are smaller , because their organs are still developing”
“Children are no more in danger in the Anatole France school than in any school in Saint-Denis, Saint Ouen or the Paris suburbs!”
Mathieu Hanotin – mayor (PS) of Saint Denis
But Mathieu Hanotin, the mayor of the town of Saint-Denis where the school is located, qualifies the analysis. For him, this pollution problem is not specific to the Pleyel interchange. It is global. “Children are no more in danger in the Anatole France school than in any school in Saint-Denis, Saint Ouen or the Paris suburbs!” This is why he rejects the proposal made by the opposition to move the school. “I am still accountable for the proper use of public money. Today, moving a school costs tens of millions of euros.”
Uncertain profits
Integrated into the Greater Paris plans, the Pleyel interchange promised to streamline traffic on the motorway. However, according to the traffic study by Dirif, the public Île-de-France roads department, Once the work is completed, traffic will increase on the entire A86 motorway.
Contacted, the prefecture of Ile de France affirms that with this new project, traffic will be decongested at the Porte de Paris with lower polluting emissions by 2030.