Pedestrians and cyclists are at ease on Avenue Gaston-Baissette

Le projet a été présenté le 2 octobre aux riverains. Midi Libre – JPS

Du rond-point de Saint-Just à la rue des Étoffes, la voie va faire l’objet d’un important programme de travaux.

On October 21, the start of the All Saints' Day holidays, a new project will be launched, and not the least since it concerns Avenue Gaston-Baissette. A major axis of travel in the town for motorists since it is the departmental road to Mauguio and for pedestrians and cyclists since this artery includes major public facilities: a high school (Feuillade), a middle school (Mistral), the new micro-nursery and nearby the Mario-Roustan school as well as a dense district, that of Abrivados.

Works beyond the heart of the city

In short, Mayor Pierre Soujol and his deputy for works Paulette Gougeon were easily able to justify the need to secure this route during the public presentation meeting held this Wednesday, October 2, and which mobilized several dozen local residents in the Trophy Room. A meeting during which Pierre Soujol first slipped in: « We are demonstrating that we are not only working on the metamorphosis of the city centre. »

2 500 schoolchildren concerned

In fact, the municipality is tackling a profound transformation of this departmental road, from the Saint-Just roundabout to rue des Étoffes (Mistral college). « The aim is to make pedestrian and bicycle travel safer, in particular by creating continuity with the Saint-Just cycle path », explained Pierre Soujol. The deputy was even more precise: “” 2,500 schoolchildren pass through this route every day and now, with the redistribution of the school map, young people from Saint-Just have the choice between Lansargues college or Mistral in Lunel. It was therefore logical to extend the current cycle path from the Saint-Just road to the high school and the middle school. »

The roadway goes from 7 to 6 m

The municipal project is being carried out hand in hand with the Department, which is taking charge of the resurfacing of the roadway, the width of which will be reduced to 6 m (instead of the current 7 to 7.50 m). « We hope that this will contribute to reducing speed on this axis », stressed Paulette Gougeon. One of the answers to a concern expressed many times by local residents during this public meeting.
A moment of discussion during which Justine Loudes, project manager at Seiri, project manager of the operation, detailed the work. It consists of burying the dry networks and bringing the public lighting up to standard, then, on the west side of Gaston-Baissette, creating a secure path, 1.5 m for pedestrians and 3 m for cyclists (a section will be shared at the height of the plane trees) and on the east side, keeping the ditch. More green spaces and securing access to the various secondary roads are also on the menu for this metamorphosis, which will require alternating traffic to be set up on each section of the works until the beginning of July 2025.

Nine months of works

Calendar. During the All Saints' holidays, the works will concern the areas around the Feuillade high school, in November and December they will be located from the roundabout on the Route de Saint-Just to Rue des Mouettes with the creation of pedestrian and cycle paths and sidewalks. The work will resume between January and February from Rue des Mouettes to the high school and then, between mid-February and mid-March, from the high school to the middle school. Finally, between mid-March and mid-April, Rue des Etoffes will be treated. From mid-April to May, the micro-crèche park will be expanded and then, at the end of May, the work will be located in front of the shops. Between the end of May and the beginning of July, for three weeks, in sections, complete repair of the roadway.

I subscribe to read the rest