By the end of 2024, the inhabitants of Jargeau and Saint-Denis-de-Hôtel should stop seeing cars and heavy goods vehicles at the foot of schools.
It is in any case the promise of the departmental council of Loiret, which has just unveiled the visuals of the future work of art which will span the Loire as part of the deviation of the RD 921. Intended to unclog these two towns on both sides. on the other side of the river, it will be built by Baudin Châteauneuf, a large local group specializing in bridges which won this contract of 48.5 million euros before tax in front of majors such as Bouygues.
"We had never done such extensive studies at this stage"
This 570 m long metal structure will have two lanes for pedestrians and cyclists and "should accommodate 11,000 vehicles per day, against 15,000 on the Jargeau bridge currently", indicates Marc Gaudet, president of the department.
Due to the karstic relief
(very fragile limestone subsoil, Editor's note)
, the piers will be based on concrete piles anchored between 20 and 30 m deep, to guarantee the stability of the structure and leave free the flow of water. groundwater, crucial for supplying the Loiret, as a BRGM study had shown.
"We looked for the technical solution that meets all the challenges, we had never done such extensive studies at this stage", assures the CEO of Baudin Châteauneuf, Damien Colombot.
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This announcement constitutes a further step towards the culmination of this project launched more than twenty years ago. Strongly contested for its impact on Loire biodiversity, it has been the subject of 18 appeals in recent years, 16 of which have been rejected. In particular, the appeal against the declaration of public utility remains open, which has still not been examined, but this does not prevent the departmental council from continuing to advance since it is not suspensive.
