Above the A750, the largest aluminum footbridge in France is in Gignac
|Prochainement 48 arbres et 300 arbustes seront plantés autour de la passerelle. Midi Libre – MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH
Sa construction n’a demandé qu’un an : désormais, les Gignacois peuvent passer à pied ou à vélo au-dessus de l’autoroute.
Getting around Gignac? A major issue for public policies. This Tuesday morning was dedicated to mobility. Getting around on foot first, or by bike, above the motorway. The pedestrian bridge spanning the A750 is now operational and the 900 high school students of Simone-Veil, as well as the young people, a little further away, enrolled in the agricultural high school, or the users of the Gilles-Fermaud sports hall can reach the city center in complete safety.
It took only one year to build the footbridge. Midi Libre – MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH
“A technical challenge”
It took only one year to complete the project, the studies for which were launched in 2019. “Its construction was a technical challenge!” recalled Ludovic Fantuz, from Eiffage Génie Civil. “A 14-tonne frame is not much for 44 metres long, the whole structure weighing 21 tonnes. The aluminum structure was manufactured in Saint-Nazaire in Loire-Atlantique, in two 22-meter sections, installed during the night of March 14 to 15, with only 8 hours of highway shutdown!”
Soon 48 trees and 300 shrubs
Another challenge to overcome: lighting, in order to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists without blinding motorists driving below. The vibrations emanating from the passage of trucks have also been carefully studied and, to avoid the blast effect, the height has been revised to 6.50 meters. “The north ramp posed some difficulties for us because we had less space and for the versatility of uses, pedestrians and bicycles, it was necessary to have rest areas", continues the specialist. The pedestrian and cycle path represents a length of 1,150 meters. Soon the plantations (48 trees, 300 shrubs) will come to embellish the surroundings.
The footbridge was inaugurated in the presence of Carole Delga, President of the Region, the Prefect of Hérault, François-Xavier Lauch and the Mayor of Montpellier, Mickaël Delafosse. Midi Libre – MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH
For Jean-François Soto, mayor of Gignac and president of the community of communes of the Hérault Valley (28 communes, 42,000 inhabitants), it was worth remembering that the project had been possible thanks to the aid of the State, which financed 73% of the 2.2 million euros. The Occitanie Region contributed 7%.
According to these designers, this is the largest aluminum footbridge in France.
A large number of guests
Between two meetings in Montpellier, the President of the Region Carole Delga traveled to Gignac for the inauguration of the footbridge and the multi-modal exchange point. With her, the Mayor and President of the Montpellier metropolitan area, Mickaël Delafosse. The opportunity for the two elected officials to reiterate their support for the policy promoting mobility led by Jean-François Soto, president of the community of communes of the Hérault valley, his vice-president for mobility David Cablat, and the many mayors present. The president of the intercommunalities of France, Sébastien Martin was able to appreciate this great understanding.
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