New interchange on the Toulouse ring road: standoff between supporters and opponents

During the public inquiry, which is being held until January 7, the standoff continues between opponents and supporters of the East Junction, a new interchange on the ring road at the Cité de l'espace accompanied by a 2X2 lane connection to Quint-Fonsegrives.

The Balma municipal council adopted a wish to say “yes” to this project supported for a long time by Toulouse Métropole and which aims to relieve congestion on the roads and interchanges in the sector. Among the elected officials, 29 said they were in favor of the East Junction and four were opposed to it. In the process, the town hall distributed a leaflet to say why, in its opinion, this project is “absolutely essential”. “In 2040, there will be 32,000 new inhabitants and 30,800 more jobs” in this sector. And, without new equipment, “travel times on the roads of Castres and Revel will increase by 15, 20 and 30 minutes”.

The municipality led by Vincent Terrail-Novès is therefore asking supporters of the East Junction to express themselves within the framework of the public inquiry where, for the moment, negative opinions were in the majority.

“A lying leaflet”

The Deux Pieds Deux Roues association, stung to the quick, released a press release this Monday to denounce what it considers to be “a manipulation of the public inquiry”, or even, as its president Boris Kozlow says, as “a leaflet lying.” Because the association contests each argument of the pro-Jonction Est side by side. The time savings in particular will only be “two to three minutes”, she assures, referring to the investigation file.

Basically, Boris Kozlow reaffirms that instead of making it more fluid, an interchange “attracts more motorists and therefore increases congestion”.

“It’s a strange conception of democracy where they are the only ones able to express themselves and on the basis of untruths,” replies the mayor of Balma to Deux Pieds deux vins.