During the last municipal council, on December 10, the City of Beauvais voted to acquire a house at 42 rue du Pont d’Arcole as part of the multimodal exchange hub, this major project where the bus station will be distributed on three new sites (in particular on both sides of the railway tracks). The objective is to build a footbridge (see photo) planned just in front of this house. “It is interesting to be able to acquire it to improve traffic and parking”, underlined the first deputy Franck Pia. The council voted to purchase this house for an amount of € 80,000.
A move, new bus stations
Reminder of the project. The current bus station (in yellow) is “Totally outdated”, says Jacques Doridam, vice-president of the Agglo, in charge of the file.
In the future multimodal interchange hub, the bus station will be spread over three sites. The first will be located on avenue de la République, along the square Jules Brière. “There will be an extension of the forecourt to the west with a reorganized bus and coach center”, explains Jacques Doridam. Two stops for city buses, two more for SNCF coaches and “A real well visible Taxi station” are on the program (GR1).
But most of the future bus station will be shared on either side of the railway tracks. A space for six buses is planned on a current part of the station car park, between the railway line and rue Correus (GR2). The other part of the bus station will be able to accommodate 9 buses, a space created to the north-east of the Brosserie Dupont site, along rue du Pont d’Arcole (GR3). The organization of buses (in the two bus stations) will be carried out “Depending on the lines coming from the north or the south”, notes the vice-president for transport.
The establishment of one of the bus stations will lead to a loss of parking in the car park located between the station and the Cinespace. Only 40 places will be available (P1), not to mention the reconfiguration of the car park for SNCF agents. No change, however, as regards the number of spaces, for the car park located in front of the Cinespace (130 spaces) (P2) and that of the avenue de la République (P4). The big revolution will lie in the access control carried out in each car park of this multimodal hub. “We start with the idea of an automatic barrier, with a ticket to exit, in order to reserve these spaces for SNCF and cinema users”, Jacques Doridam notes. The Cinespace car park should not even wait for future work on the multimodal hub before being affected by this new system. “We are already working on it, says the vice-president of the Agglo, it is completely saturated ”.
A 40 m footbridge over the railway tracks
Two other parking areas are planned in the future Pole: the first at the corner of rue du Pont d’Arcole and rue Henri Brispot (P3). This will involve the development of an 80-space car park, with access control, which will be accompanied by the creation of a small square near the footbridge (read elsewhere). Finally, a drop-off will be made between the railway line and rue du Pont d’Arcole (P5).
The symbol of this future construction site is undoubtedly the forty-meter footbridge that will fly over the railway tracks. (and transl). This achievement is essential to create a link in this future multimodal trade hub. This footbridge, open to traffic, must be wide enough to secure two-wheelers and pedestrians (particularly bus and train users). “The studies will define its height, its width…”, notes Jacques Doridam. Each end of the footbridge will be marked by the presence of a square, created along the rue du Pont d’Arcole, and reinforced in front of the Beauvais station. An impressive extension of the main station forecourt is also planned. It will go, from west to east, from the République car park (future taxi station) to the car park located between the station and Cinespace (future bus station).
This transformation “Not going to happen overnight”, warns Jacques Doridam. The first works could be launched in 2023, and the vice-president of the Agglo anticipates “At least two years of work”. The cost of the project is expected to be around 10 million euros.
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