Work to widen the Colporteurs dike resumed this Monday. This road, which allows the bypass of Barcelonnette, will be widened by 50 centimeters. To allow the work, a diversion was set up through the city center, provoking the anger of local residents.
Since Monday, September 16, work to widen the Digue des Colporteurs road has resumed. This road, which allows the bypass of Barcelonnette, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, will be widened by 50 centimeters. To facilitate these developments, a diversion has been set up through the city center, provoking the anger of local residents.
“I counted, there are about 40 trucks passing here, and big trucks!” exclaims Yves to BFM DICI. This resident of Rue du Pissevin, where the bypass passes, is already fed up with the road traffic.
The section between the Abattoir bridge and the Jean Fernandez multi-sports hall is affected by these widening works, thus diverting traffic going towards the bottom of the valley, particularly towards the Col de Larche and Italy. Many trucks therefore pass through this small street.
A narrow and dilapidated street
“This road, which is very old, was built on an old dirt road, and under this road runs a small canal, the Pissevin canal. It is not a very big canal, and it is not designed to carry trucks of more than 40 tonnes,” worries Yves.
In many places the tarmac is missing, and the road is sinking. “It makes the walls of the apartments downstairs shake, and it makes a bit of noise, but what worries us most is that one day we’ll find ourselves with a truck in the garden!”, the local resident says ironically.
The rest of the residents are left in a state of confusion. They do not understand why the bypass passes here, on this very narrow road, while right next to it a parallel, wider road is not used.
One solution preferred over another
For his part, the mayor states that “there are not 36 solutions”, but explains that he is currently studying another alternative, in order to remove the traffic alternation and therefore halve the traffic passing through rue du Pissevin. The work on the Colporteur dike should last until November 15, 2024.
