Near Toulouse. A new access ramp to stop traffic jams in this shopping center
By Guillaume Laurent
Published on
It’s one of the big building sites road of the moment in the agglomeration of Toulouse. The requalification of europe boulevard, supposed to improve access to commercial area of Portet sur Garonne, one of the most saturated in the territory, has just taken a decisive first step. Enough to blow up the cork that gives motorists in the south of the Pink City a cold sweat? After more than 20 years of waiting, they will still have to be patient (a little).
Queues of cars… as far as the A64
The boulevard de l’Europe, or departmental road 63, is a structuring axis of the commune of Portet, which adjoins the south of Toulouse. servant the shopping center from the A64, it is also an entrance to the city and provides transit traffic to neighboring business areas and bordering municipalities. Except that motorists are regularly bumper to bumper, especially at rush hour, and traditionally on Saturday morning, shopping day at Carrefour.
“We forgot it a bit with the confinements, but it happens that we have lines of cars coming up to the commercial area as far as the A64. It is extremely dangerous”.
In order to overcome this problem, works of requalification were hired in 2021.
What is the purpose of the project?
According to the project promoters, this project aims above all to “improve service commercial area” for vehicles, and reduce traffic jams. But it must also make it possible to “consolidate the soft connections from the Portet station”, to “facilitate the connection between the center of the village and the commercial area” in particular by bicycle, to “secure the crossings of the departmental roads”, or even to “redeveloping the back alley of the boulevard de l’Europe”, which was until now “a divide between the residential districts and the economic zones”, raises Thierry Suaud, the mayor (PS) of the municipality. Around the shopping centre, a whole network of cycle and pedestrian paths will come out of the ground, especially on either side of the Boulevard de l’Europe.
This project, which should therefore make it possible to improve road traffic, is also intended “to anticipate the future express line” of Tisséowhich should connect via the Portet Spain route to Basso-Cambo, terminus of line A of the metro, by 2024.
1D phase: a ramp for direct access to Carrefour
On Tuesday March 22, the project leaders presented the first phase of work freshly delivered: in December 2021, a New suspender to reach the shopping center has indeed been put into service. She permits “direct access to Carrefour” right off the motorway.
“There are not yet many users, because there are not yet road signs, and motorists have to smoke the habit”, observes Thierry Suaud, eyes riveted on the brand new ramp where the cars pass by in dribs and drabs. For now, the artery is just appearing on GPS and other driving applications… And few motorists venture on a road without knowing where they will land!
But the first magistrate is convinced: if this project will not change everything on the roads in the south of this agglomeration with galloping demography, on arrival, it “will contribute to pop the cork » by Portet.
The 2and phase: cycle and pedestrian lanes and new roundabout
The second phase work started on Tuesday 22 March. It must make it possible to “transform and modernize the surroundings of shops”, but also to “create gentle paths and safe crossings of roads”. At the end of 2022, cycle and pedestrian lanes will be built along the Boulevard de l’Europe (including the bridge over the Route d’Espagne), and on the Avenue de Palanques.
The culmination of this work being the creation of a new roundabout, which must significantly “improve, near the road to Spain, entry into the area”. Located at the crossroads of the RD 120 and 63, near Darty, this roundabout is supposed to be the keystone for facilitating access to the area: concretely, it will no longer be necessary to climb the Carrefour bridge to reach the road to Spain. In the meantime, the construction site of this roundabout, planned for this summer, will cause serious disturbances for the regulars of the place.
Result of the course: according to the schedule provided by the project leaders, next December, the entire project should be presented.
Support the local economy
Over the next few months, this vast project will still employ hundreds of people. President (PS) of the Muretain agglomeration, André Mandement also sees it as a real factor of “support for the local economy, which will allow the families of the territory to live”. And to chant: “It’s local employment, not relocatable”.
A project mainly financed… by the private sector
Encrypted at 12 million euros, this project is the subject of a private public partnership between the City of Portet, the Muretain Agglo and the Departmental Council of Haute-Garonne, but also the Carrefour group and Klepierre (manager of the shopping center). “It’s a public-private project where everyone finds their interest”, defend in chorus Thierry Suaud and André Mandement.
By providing two-thirds of the budget, ie 7.8 million euros, Carrefour and Klepierre are investing in the future. “Thanks to this work, we hope to inspire Toulouse residents to come back to shop with us and more broadly in this large commercial area”, confided at the start of the work Jean-Yves Biasini, manager of the hypermarket. He assured that “many” of his customers “had given up coming because of the difficulties of access”. Today, the hypermarket welcomes the “decongestion” which is looming to “smooth traffic”, but also to finally be able to “modernize the area, which is one of the most aging in Toulouse”.
And the work is not finished, since the town hall wants to take advantage of this “beautiful operation of revaluation” to engage in the wake of another project: “Redo the entrance to the city of Portet”. Extensive program.
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