Following the collapse in late April, the section concerned by the incident will be reopened to traffic on Friday evening, today, on a single lane, alternately. But will close for a few days early June.
The timing could not be tighter. Talking about the race against the clock was in no way overused as the deadline for the Grand Prix Formula 1. Announced for May 10 – then postponed following complications of work – the reopening of the section of the Moyenne Corniche, the victim of a landslide in the night of April 24 to 25 is scheduled for tonight. At 22 hours, at the latest.
It’s official since yesterday and the holding of yet another site visit. “The delays are required, welcomes Nicolas Demartini, deputy director of subdivision of the Metropolis Nice Côte d’Azur. In the morning, we will make a sweep of the floor and, in the early afternoon, we will test the traffic lights.”
SHORT CLOSURE FROM JUNE 3RD
This reopening will be done on one way, the southern road. Before a new provisional closure in both directions of circulation. “This will take place on June 3 for a maximum of three to four days,” said Xavier Beck, mayor of Cap-d’Ail. “In this period, the department of engineering works of the Nice-Côte d’Azur Metropolis will drop a part of the structure, the closest to the tunnel, which annoys them. It turns out that there is still a significant risk, and they prefer to make it fall.”
AT LEAST TWO MONTHS OF WORK TO REBUILD
A new constraint shorter course for road users who in recent weeks had to pass through an already saturated Principality to join Beausoleil and east of the department, as motorists from Menton. But a technical necessity for experts who monitor and secure the site daily since the incident. And even for several years.
“This wall was standing for several years and did not move. It was all the more that underneath there was the construction of the Albert II tunnel. In recent months, there have been signs of movement that have encouraged the Metropolis to carry out work of comfort,” traces Nicolas Demartini.
If the final reports have not yet been released, it seems that the bad weather preceding the landslide had a preponderant role. Runoff may cause outbreaks. Still, after the fall of this retaining wall ten meters high, the Nice-Côte d’Azur metropolis has set up a geotextile to prevent erosion by runoff and a line anchor to fix the embankment. Nicolas Demartini continued: “We also gave a more stable profile to the lower part of the wall, so it was the comfort and security component.”
The reconstruction of the work of art, it will intervene in the wake of this new (short) closure. For an estimated duration of two and a half months, according to the mayor of Cap-d’Ail.