“If today I take the pen, it is because the situation in our territory is very worrying.
After the successive crises that we have just experienced in our country, such as the “yellow vests” crisis, and today the health crisis; after the industrial accident around Lubrizol which conveys a degraded image of our Rouen Normandy Metropolis, another dramatic event is announced by the end of the year …
For decades, Rouen has suffered from saturated road traffic which strangles economic activity and prevents the inhabitants of the neighboring municipalities of the city-center from circulating in complete safety and serenity. To finally improve the living environment and health of all, a bypass project east of Rouen, also called the A28-A13 link, is being considered by the State and local authorities for 2024.
However, some new elected officials from the last municipal election would like to question this project to unblock road axes, now totally saturated, to enter the Metropolis. The expected traffic on this new motorway infrastructure being 40,000 vehicles per day, it is easy to understand that this traffic which crosses the city daily causes significant nuisance for the 500,000 inhabitants of the municipalities of the Metropolis, and to the thousands of employees who enter our territory every day.
886 million euros of investment are currently programmed by the State and local authorities, under the leadership of Hervé Morin, president of the Normandy Region, who has understood the essential utility of this infrastructure for attractiveness of Normandy and the development of the “Seine axis”.
All economic, commercial, industrial, logistics and energy players consider this project vital to the growth and economic development of the Metropolis, the economic capital of Normandy. Thousands of jobs already weakened by the current context will be threatened if it becomes impossible to move smoothly from north to south, and from east to west.
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“Urgent to implement this project”
It then becomes urgent to implement this sustainable development project for the Metropolis in order to decline our metropolitan COP21.
Pedestrian links, the development of cycle paths, public transport and alternative modes of transport such as carpooling or carsharing will only be possible when road traffic, in particular heavy goods vehicles, has been transferred.
You have to be damn bad faith to explain that the diversion of a large part of the north-south road traffic of France by this route will not calm traffic in the heart of Metropolis!
Similarly, while we are in favor of the development of river and rail freight, this freight transport option being complementary to road freight, the realization of this bypass will encourage initiatives in this area. This is also why this infrastructure will promote the development of the Seine axis, from the capital to the sea.
Without this new axis, it is to be feared that all investors will turn away from our Metropolis to invest elsewhere …
After half a century of procrastination, there are no longer any major obstacles to the execution of this project and the elected officials who would like to oppose it are seriously wrong in the fight, and shoot us in the foot in the competition that the territories surrender. Environmentalists have consistency and clarity on their side. They have always been against this project, even if they are wrong – once again – in their fight against progress.
The new president of the Metropolis and mayor of Rouen, until then defender of the project, had a “revelation” during the last municipal campaign. If I am willing to believe in the honesty and sincerity of its 180 ° turn, I cannot imagine the same conversion of all the elected socialists sitting in the Metropolis!
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A bad signal
All the mayors, in the majority, who have always unanimously voted to finance this infrastructure, cannot speak differently than that of the political arrangement, if they were to confirm the decision to stop the financing of the project. However, I want to believe that these mayors who have a sense of the collective interest will make their decision without pressure from the executive of the metropolitan council.
Through this forum, I want to express a real concern, because the stake is strong to see oneself penalized for decades and to give a bad signal to the inhabitants, as to the investors who could move towards other metropolises, at best. in Normandy, at worst outside our region.
We can no longer support the 5,000 heavy goods vehicles every day, and 800 trucks every night which pass on the axis of the tunnel under the Grand-Mare – Pont Mathilde.
We can no longer accept seeing the transport of hazardous materials pass through our city centers and risk a new disaster every minute.
On the contrary, thanks to the eastern bypass of Rouen, we want to reclaim public space to share it in a more peaceful way when we travel.
The efforts made to encourage integration into the landscape, to limit the impact on agricultural activity, to avoid noise pollution, to improve the quality of urban air and to compensate for environmental impacts have been very high and have resulted in ‘subject of numerous studies and serious commitments.
Everything is ready to bring us into the “next world”, that of a better living environment, greater attractiveness, and greater solidarity between the territories.
This is the Metropolis of Rouen that I want for tomorrow, and bypassing it will allow all metropolitan projects that are good for all residents to be carried out, not forgetting those who are suffering the horrors of today’s society. “
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3 key points
“Investors will turn away from our Metropolis”
The new president of the Metropolis had a “revelation”
“We can no longer support the 5000 heavy weights every day”
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Pascal
Houbron
Centrist mayor of Bihorel, opposition adviser to the Rouen Normandy metropolis, regional councilor in the majority group
The Conquering Normandy of Hervé Morin.
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