Work on the temporary Chamborigaud bridge in northern Gard will begin this Tuesday, March 26.

Le pont submersible devrait être ouvert d’ici un mois. Midi Libre – ALEXIS BETHUNE

This new submersible bridge must be built on the Luech watercourse, a few meters from the bridge which collapsed on Monday March 18.

The start date of the work has been confirmed, and the first materials that will be used will begin to be deposited the day before.

Following validation from the prefect of Gard, construction of the temporary Chamborigaud bridge in the Cévennes will begin this Tuesday, March 23. Just a few meters from the collapsed bridge on last March 18.

This bridge, submersible and installed on the Luech watercourse, aims to reopen direct traffic between Chamborigaud and Génolhac. And more generally between Alès and Lozère on this part of the Cévennes massif. "The owners of the land concerned have given us their agreement", specifies departmental elected official Patrick Malavieille. The Department, in charge of the project because it is responsible for road infrastructure, hopes to have this new passage opened within a month. The infrastructure, submersible in the event of flooding, provides a passage of 3×3 meters for the flow of the Luech in normal periods.

One of the first representational drawings of the project presented to the authorities. DR

Also read: "It's not the village that collapsed, we're still working" : in Chamborigaud, traders are mobilizing

Additional trains during the period

At the same time, in order to offer an alternative to the 45 minutes of diversion currently in place between the two municipalities on the roads, Jean-Luc Gibelin, vice-president of the Region in charge of transport, announces that reinforced service to Chamborigaud station has been in place since Friday March 22.

"All trains using the line now stop at Chamborigaud", with 13 stops from Monday to Thursday (6 outward journeys and 7 returns between Chamborigaud and Alès) and 17 on Fridays (8 outward journeys and 9 returns). During weekends, ten stops are scheduled on Saturdays and twelve on Sundays.

The reinforced service, however, risks being disrupted during the Easter holidays, the SNCF having planned renovation work on the line during this period requiring a total suspension of traffic. Work which, to this day, remains maintained.