Hautes-Alpes. How the Department’s services prepare for Monte-Carlo

For Marcel Cannat, vice-president of the Hautes-Alpes department in charge of infrastructure and transport, taking part in the Monte-Carlo Rally is both a great pleasure and a lot of work. “It’s a pleasure because the rally is a party. People are happy to be there around their passion. I remember last year stopping in an area to chat with spectators and there were several nationalities, Italians, Belgians, etc. It was three in the morning, and people were grilling merguez. There was a very good atmosphere,” explains the departmental elected official who is also mayor of Réotier.

But the rally is also work for the agents of the Department's roads service. “Unlike the Tour de France, the work we have to do is very different and of several types. First of all, once everything has passed the departmental road safety commission and the special stages are set, we have work to do on setting up diversions taking into account the residents, but also the routes for the firefighters. So there is information to be provided to residents, but this also has consequences for school transportation. There is a whole system to put in place so that people are not isolated. »

“Do not gravel, do not salt before the start of the races”

Unlike the Tour de France, the department's services are not required to mow the edges of the road, redo the ground markings, sweep the roads and fill in the holes. “We are asked not to touch anything on these roads. Do not add gravel or salt before the cars leave. And above all, if it snows, don't shovel it! On the other hand, once the special stages are over, we have to have the sweepers pass because there are a lot of stones on the road after the rally has passed. This is a lot of cleaning work that needs to be done quickly after the race. »

Marcel Cannat also explains that vehicles from the department are pre-positioned along the route, in the direction of the race, in order to be able to pass, for example, in the event that blocks of stone break loose during the race. Another change compared to the hosting of the Tour, it is not the Department which is in charge of collecting waste at the rally. “They have service providers who do this very well, are well equipped and well organized. We are in contact with them, and our teams can point out things that are not going well and they intervene quickly, during the night or the next day. »