the price of the toll is already making motorists shudder
In the boxes for 40 years, the future A69 motorway has just taken a major step. The final concession contract was signed on April 19 with NGE. The announced tariffs provoke the anger of road user collectives.
It’s been a sea serpent for four decades. The A69 motorway linking in front of Toulouse to Castres has just completed a new stage on April 9, 2022.
The French public works building group NGE became the sole concessionaire of the motorway on Tuesday after the final signing of the concession contract and its publication in the official journal.
This 2×2 lane motorway, 54 km long, should be put into service by 2025, with a clearly stated objective: to open up the south of the Tarn department. It should allow motorists to save 35 minutes on this section.
But to borrow it, you will have to put your hand in your wallet. The one-way fare between Castres and Verfeil is announced at more than 8 euros. Cost to which you will have to add the €1.60 for the portion of the A68 to reach Toulouse.
The addition would rise to nearly 20 euros for a round trip. Rates that the collective “the way is free” considers excessive.
With inflation, we will exceed 20 euros. And then there is already the RN126 in a straight line. Logic dictates that we spend money to improve it instead.
Geoffrey TarrouxCollective “The way is free”
The collective criticizes local authorities for not having improved the safety of the RN 126 for almost 30 years precisely because of the A69 motorway project. He also denounces the loss of 400 hectares of agricultural land at the time of the cereal crisis due to the war in Ukraine.
For the State and local authorities, which are committing up to 20 million euros, the challenge is elsewhere: to open up the territories.
It is this same concern for opening up that prevailed for the opening of the A66 in 2002 between Montesquieu-Lauraguais in Haute-Garonne and Pamiers in Ariège. It also had to offload the national 20 of part of its traffic from Ariège and Andorra.
Twenty years later, the highway records rather low traffic. The fault may be its prices. Nearly 6 euros for a one-way trip of 39 km on the Ariégeoise.
Between Castres and Toulouse the opposition to the future A69 is already in use.
The collective “The way is free” puts forward its arguments in an information booklet. 5,000 copies were distributed in the mailboxes of residents along the route.
A day of action is scheduled for May 8 in Teulat, in the Tarn department.