Jean-Christophe Cougouluègne has lived in Lattes, near Montpellier, for 32 years. Its windows directly overlook the Avenue de l’Europe and for a fortnight, he complains of living in hell. “In both directions, there are heavy traffic jams, in the morning and in the evening, and we are in the school holiday period!” He is terribly bothered by noise and air pollution.
Lattes, southern ring road of Montpellier
This avenue has always been very popular, but since a recent modification of the traffic plan, which removed one lane in each direction, the situation has seriously worsened. So much so that another resident finds it unbearable, while a neighbor thinks that in the end, it’s better for safety. “On two lanes, people are going too fast! They go at 70-80km/h sometimes, it’s not normal”.
Every day, 48,000 vehicles pass through the town
The mayor of Lattes, who recognizes that the “situation is catastrophic”, promised to correct the situation next week by partially returning to the old formula. A second lane will again be open in the direction that allows you to leave Lattes. However, Cyril Meunier believes that the problem is more general. “Lattes has become Montpellier’s southern ring road. Normally, 48,000 vehicles per day pass through Lattes in both directions. We are now on the verge of breaking up”.
Build a bridge over the Lez
The solution ? Build a bridge over the Lez, north of the town to allow it to be circumvented, at the level of Céreirède. Since Michaël Delafosse is president of the Métropole de Montpellier, studies have been relaunched according to Cyril Meunier. With all the environmental and hydraulic constraints, this bridge will not see the light of day for five years. “We have five years to last during which, I remind you, we take 6,000 more vehicles a year. We are going to be completely asphyxiated”.
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