While a soft light of the end of the afternoon bounces on the brick walls, the mayor of Toulouse inaugurates the new edges of the Garonne, which now benefit from historic quays restored identically.

The baptism of the Saget dyke walls and the Henri-Martin promenade crowns the end of more than three years of heritage work, which is part of the enhancement of the classified site of the Garonne water body. Indeed, the restoration of the historic quays of Toulouse, dating from the 18th century, a start in autumn 2017, from the south of the quai de Tounis, to the Bazacle. The site envisaged both the complete and identical repair of the floors (with pebbles and lawn) and of the walls (in bricks of course). “We tried to find the original colors in order to have a faithful reproduction of what the quays were in the 18th century”, explains Guillaume Cantagrel, director of the Grand Parc Garonne project at Toulouse Métropole.

If we take into account all the work carried out by the Compagnons, “we count almost 200 km of joints and mortar, reconstituted according to the original techniques”, adds Guillaume Cantagrel. The total cost of the works amounts to 12.5 million euros. They were largely financed by Toulouse Métropole with the support of the State (11.4%) and the Region (17.5%). Classified under the protection of landscapes, the historic quays of the banks of the Garonne are now built, in Toulouse, in all their splendor.