A31bis motorway: a "near-historic opportunity" for the prefect of Moselle

The public inquiry into the A31bis motorway, a project discussed for almost 30 years to ease traffic between Lorraine and Luxembourg, will begin on Monday and continue until June 27, the Moselle prefecture announced on Tuesday, May 5, seeing it as a "historic opportunity".

The project, covering approximately 350 hectares, includes seven kilometers of new dual carriageway to bypass Thionville, which is always heavily congested. A new 2,4 km tunnel in Florange and the widening of the existing A31 motorway to three lanes in each direction are also planned.

Speaking at a press conference about the "difficulties" of the A69 project between Toulouse and Castres, Prefect Pascal Bolot observed that "motorway projects are less and less well understood, rightly or wrongly".

However, there is in Moselle "an almost historic opportunity" to carry out such a project, and it would be "counterproductive" not to validate it, according to him.

Some 60.000 cars commute daily between the two countries, and the share of cross-border workers is expected to increase further in the coming years.

Some local associations are criticizing the project, which they consider "anachronistic", as the collective "Terville against the A31bis" says.

However, for the prefect, even if the car fleet becomes all electric, "there will always be cars" and traffic congestion will persist due to the lack of a new route.

Opponents also believe that the travel time saved will be minimal. "We need to be realistic. If you save 12 minutes, that's multiplied by 80.000 people, morning and evening," retorts the state representative.

The cost of the project for this northern section is estimated at one billion euros. The newly created section of motorway will be operated under a concession agreement, and the toll is expected to be 3,88 euros for a one-way trip with a light vehicle and 11,64 euros for heavy goods vehicles.

A lane reserved for public transport and carpooling is also planned in the 2x3 lane layout.

The project is almost 30 years old, with the initial idea of creating an A32 motorway linking Moselle to the Grand Duchy, on a new route, which was the subject of a public debate in 1999, before being completely abandoned in 2007.

For the A31bis motorway, two public meetings are planned, on May 21 in Thionville and on June 6 in Florange. The public inquiry file is available for consultation in 15 town halls and on a dedicated webpage.

The next step will be the declaration of public utility (DUP), hoped for before the presidential election.