This is an issue around which questions have been raised for around fifty years. On the occasion of the session of the Corsican Assembly this Thursday, the territorial advisor of Core in Fronte, Serena Battistini, took advantage of the oral question session to question the Executive on the construction project of a new port in Bastia, recalling that already in the 1970s the dimensioning and installation of the current infrastructure seemed insufficient.
« In 2007, a public inquiry took place on the establishment of a new port on the La Carbonite site, in view of high economic projections for passenger and freight traffic by 2025. These did not materialize . In 2017, you mentioned, during a television report, the possibility of an extension, on the sea, of the current port. In 2019, you spoke publicly at Via Stella's microphone about the creation of a port, in Lupinu, in A Capochja “, she recalled, emphasizing: “ This question of the port of Bastia returns like a sea serpent, without finding concrete solutions”. Indicating that his group is in favor of “ an expansion of the current port site “, despite the many uncertainties that remain at the ecological level, she asked the President of the Executive about the status of the Corsican Community's projects for the port of Bastia.
In response, Gilles Simeoni noted that when he came of age to responsibilities “ If the question of the port of Carbonite had been raised for a long time, the technical and technological file, despite an authorization that was very difficult to obtain, was for its part extremely weak. “We have carried out in-depth analysis work for 4 years », he added, saying today that he had several scenarios. “ We must return to the Assembly of Corsica and have a public debate which is imperative “, he announced in this vein. Already detailing the technically ruled out options, he pointed out the status quo which “cannot be a choice », « because we are in a situation of permanent exemption in terms of security.” “The extension of the eastern dike is also ruled out because it would have an enormous cost without having any significant technical advantages, just like the Carbonite port in its initial configuration, because it is clearly oversized with an ecological impact that would have been unbearable “, he continued.
Arriving at the two options that the executive council will present to the Corsican Assembly, it first mentioned the scenario of a major redevelopment of the current basin. “ This involves the creation of an embankment of 34,000 m2 on the sea, to the North East of the port, which still creates environmental problems with the posidonia and the limpet which is a protected species. This extension would cost around 80 million euros. This also involves an extension of 40 m2 of the eastern seawall and the lengthening of platform 8 at a cost of 80 million euros and the creation of two tunnels to bypass the city center from the west at an estimated cost. at 200 to 250 million euros »he detailed, pointing out that with this option which offers guarantees for 40 years, maritime traffic would continue to arrive in the city center with the resulting problems in terms of handling, management of the water, road traffic even if the two tunnels envisaged would be intended to relieve traffic congestion in the city center.
“The second option is that of Portu Novu, it is the one that I proposed in 2019 so that it could be appraised “, he also indicated, adding: “ The port would be built opposite the current Carbonite swimming pool and would stop approximately at the Sables Rouges campsite. Very in-depth environmental impact studies have been carried out, according to which this would not impact either the Marana lido or the Arinella beach. This port would be smaller in size compared to the initial Carbonite project and this reduction in the size of the port would make it possible to use new techniques, in particular not having completely concrete dikes, but dikes with studs. which would let the sea current pass and have much less impact and influence, including on the Posidonia herbarium. Further specifying that this port would have the corollary “ the requalification of the current commercial port of Bastia into a marina and large pleasure craft “, he made it clear that this option would be part of ” in a plan of extremely profound urban transformation » and was estimated at 1 billion euros before the Ukraine crisis.
“These two options are completely assessed from a technical and ecological impact point of view “, he continued, emphasizing the multiple issues of this issue, particularly the future of imports and their origin and the impact of the future port of Bastia on those of Porto-Vecchio and Propriano. “ Today we have all the elements that will allow us to make our decision with our soul and conscience. », he concluded without specifying the date when this file will come before the Corsican Assembly.
