Be careful where you drive, 25,000 French bridges need work.
Around 800 municipal bridges will be the subject of security work on the approximately 10,000 structures which require “
immediate security measures
”, we learned on Wednesday during a round table in the Senate.
France has between 200,000 and 250,000 bridges, including 100,000 municipal ones.
“
In total, 25,000 municipal bridges require work, of which 10,000 need immediate safety measures, among which 4,000 are subject to serious structural damage, while 25,000 are generally in good condition and 50,000 are in between
», Summarized Pascal Berteaud, general director of the Center for studies and expertise on risks (Cerema), before the regional planning committee.
After the spectacular collapse of the A motorway viaduct collapses in Italy (Italy), which left 43 dead in 2018, a Senate report drew up an alarming inventory, with “
at least 25,000 bridges” considered in France to be in danger. “poor structural condition and posing safety problems
”.
In particular, the aging of the heritage combined with “
chronic underinvestment
” in maintenance.
Also read: Italian Autostrade suspected of falsifying the state of its viaducts
“SOS bridge” has been set up
The senators called for a “
Marshall plan
” and demanded 130 million euros per year for ten years for local authorities.
Since then, the government launched a first program for municipalities in 2020, then a second in September.
“
In total, 55 million were released to carry out diagnostics and 55 million for work
,” said Pascal Berteaud.
With this money, 60,000 municipal bridges must be audited and undergo a diagnosis.
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.
“
Around 800 bridges will be able to benefit from subsidies for carrying out work
,” indicated Pascal Berteaud.
“
Are the means sufficient?
Yes.
Does it work?
No
,” he admitted to the senators.
“
We are at the beginning of the process and it is not illogical that it starts slowly
,” he nevertheless qualified.
“
Since the Senate report, we have observed a deterioration with 25% of structures in degraded structural condition compared to 18 to 20% in 2019
,” noted Eric Ollinger, from the General Directorate of Infrastructure (DGITM).
“
The situation is improving little and time is catching up with us because as the structures are getting older and older, new deteriorations are appearing
,” noted Sylvain Laval, of the Association of Mayors of France.
“
We always come back to the question of budgetary arbitration.
In a small rural town, when you have to choose between the school and the bridge, the choice is quickly made
,” he admitted.