The RN88, at the Col de la Tourette, remains closed following a landslide and a risk of landslide

Security work is underway. FREE NOON – Anaïs Da Silva

This Monday, April 1, 2024, the prefect of Lozère implemented a temporary ban on driving on the RN88 between the Col de la Tourette and the eastern entrance to Badaroux. According to him, "if all goes well" the reopening could take place this Friday, April 5.

The rain has not stopped falling for several days in Lozère. A good thing for the environment, but a bad thing for motorists who use the RN88. Due to waterlogged terrain, the old road located above the main road linking Mende and Langogne, between the Col de la Tourette and the Col de la Tourette. rsquo;east entrance to Badaroux, has subsided and poses a high risk of landslides on the roadway.

"It’is a landslide of two or even three meters", specifies a works manager. Since Monday, April 1, this part of the RN88 has been closed. The prefecture has put in place an order announcing the temporary ban on driving there. "This order must be respected. It is there for the safety of motorists, supports Valérie Rebois Chemin, mayor of Badaroux. There are still far too many risks. pieces."

An indefinite closure

To inform drivers of solutions to bypass the works, signs indicating deviations were installed this Wednesday, April 3. Despite these facilities, there are still a few drivers who continue their journey to the barrier and who find themselves forced to turn around. A retired couple experienced this misadventure. While he was planning, as usual, to take this route, he was faced with white and red plastic blocks and a yellow sign: "road crossed out". "We don't understand. We did not see a diversion sign at Charpal to inform us of the situation. If that were the case, we wouldn't have come here!", the passenger annoys.

Two routes to avoid the blocked road

For light vehicles, in the Mende direction towards Le Puy-en-Velay, you must take the RD806 to Rieutort-de-Randon, then take the RD1 " route de Charpal" and take the RD6 towards Laubert.

For heavy goods vehicles, it’s different. RD1 and RD6 are prohibited for them.
In the Mende sense – Le Puy-en-Velay, they must therefore drive on the RD806 to Serverette, then take the RD4 and RD58 towards Saint-Denis-en-Margeride, then take the RD5 towards Grandrieu and finish with the RD985 towards Châteauneuf -de-Randon.

"These are nearly 3 000 m3 of stones to be purged and cleared, confides the prefect. The site manager details the two steps to secure the space. "We have just started the first phase, cleaning the unstable part. That’s more than a hundred cubic meters of shale that are ready to fall. When we have finished this part, we will have to move on to the second stage: consolidation."

While this section of the RN88 has been closed for three days, Philippe Castanet, prefect of Lozère, imagines a probable reopening from Friday April 5, 2024, if all goes well". For his part, the site manager announces a duration of work "d’at least two weeks. This is unstable and dangerous terrain. It takes time to secure everything."

The RN106 and other roads concerned

In addition to the RN88, several axes are affected by landslides or risks of landslides. À Florac, the RN106 was é temporarily closed from the intersection with the RD907, Pont Neuf, to the roundabout with the RD116, Pont de la B&c&ede. It is now reopened traffic, but the landslide has not yet occurred. evacuated. Part of the roadway is neutralized by markings, and traffic is alternating. The RD907, à Vébron, is hit by a landslide. The RD984 suffered subsidence north of Saint-Étienne-Vallée-Française, reducing traffic to the next level. a way. On the D57, the collapse of a wall reduces traffic to a minimum. a way too.