Waterproofing works are underway on the Quai Bonaparte in Menton. Traffic will be disrupted until July.
1.5 million euros. That is the estimated cost of waterproofing work on Quai Bonaparte, at the foot of the Menton old town. The construction site, which was initiated on March 4th, will last until mid-summer. This work is part of the continuing rehabilitation project of the Esplanade des Sablettes. Workers will secure the entire site.
To do this, leveling works will be undertaken alongside the installment of a waterproof “flat roof” style concrete slab. Indeed, the Bonaparte wharf is an old impervious road bridge made up of 16 arches. It connects to the strike-wall of the original dock. Remember, until the 1950s, the sea stretched to the foot of the old city!
Modified circulation around Menton
Concretely, it is a matter of breaking down the road to pour a conventional concrete slab on which a sealing sheet will then be glued.
Consequence: traffic will be changed between Victoria Square and the Bastion during the construction period. The wharf will, therefore, be in a one-way direction toward Italy. Motorists from Italy will have to take the Pascal-Molinari tunnel before the quai Bonaparte can re-employ its two original lanes in July. Upon return to circulation, motorists will find the stretch embellished with palm trees that the Municipality will plant on each side of the road.
Below, the spaces between the vaulted structures are already allotted. Starting this summer, Mentonnais will find local associations and businesses running their activities. There will also be tapas bars, a sushi restaurant, a newsstand, a bar with music, and a bakery.
*Article originally published on the French edition of the Monaco Tribune.