800 French bridges will be secured out of the 10,000 that require work. France has between 200,000 and 250,000 bridges, including 100,000 municipal ones.
The senators called for a “ Marshall plan ” and demanded 130 million euros per year for ten years for local authorities. To better support elected officials, an “ SOS Bridges ” service has also been set up. But since September, only around a hundred grant applications have been received. “We are at the beginning of the process and it is not illogical that it starts slowly,” said Pascal Berteaud.