Toulouse. What is this vestige of the war hidden under the bus station?
It is located under the Toulouse-Matabiau bus station, a vestige of the Second World War so imposing and solid that we preferred to leave it there…
It is 25 meters long, 15 meters wide and 8 meters high. An 800 cubic meter structure is hidden under the Toulouse-Matabiau bus station, flush with the entrance to the buses, a few centimeters from the public space. It is a bunker dating from the Second World War, which would have housed the telephone exchange of the German occupiers. With its three-meter-thick walls, it is not indestructible, but almost… “At that time, we weren’t afraid to pour concrete. Reinforced concrete with a lot of scrap, as was customary in this type of work. It is a very complicated subject to break ”, confirms Cédric Chenot, director of studies and development ofEuropolia, the public company in charge of urban development in Toulouse Métropole.
A monumental site
This is how it was decided, at the end of the war, to leave the colossal vestige in place. Or rather to bury it. Because, originally, it is on the surface, at the same level as Boulevard Pierre Semard, which runs alongside the current bus station. “The bunker was pulled out at the end of the 1950s. This means that we dug on one side to make it hot, then on the other. And so on, until it is underground, ”explains Cédric Chenot. Of this monumental site, there are still plans, known as proofing, which precisely indicates the location and the measurements of the beast. This is valuable data for the Europolia client, in the event that he has to carry out work on the site.
How about moving the bus station?
In fact, as part of the Grand Matabiau – Quais d’Oc project, the possibility of moving the bus station is being considered, which is close to saturation with the million travelers it receives each year. Studies were therefore launched by the Departmental Council of Haute-Garonne, owner of the building, Tisséo, Toulouse public transport operator, and the Occitanie Region, transport regulator. To date, it has not decided. “The presence of the bunker is not an element that influences the final decision. It’s just one constraint among others, ”adds Cédric Chenot. In any case, if the bus station had to be moved, this would not take place before 2028, the date set for the launch of the third phase of the district redevelopment project, in the canal and periole sectors.
Demolish or bypass?
Europolia has prepared for all eventualities. “There are two variants: either we evacuate the bunker after having demolished it, or we outline it”, summarizes the director. The first operation would deal with a significant carbon footprint and certain nuisances for the neighborhood: noise, vibrations or dust. The second seems to have less, financially and environmentally. “It all depends on the project that will be presented, from us we will be able to carry out precise studies. But, whatever the case, there would be no major difficulty in getting around the obstacle ”. In the meantime, buses and coaches continue to run over it. If necessary, the SNCF specifies that the bunker of Matabiau, walled up and buried, cannot be visited.