One year after the A13 became free-flowing, the Buchelay toll barrier disappears

One year after the introduction of free-flow tolling on the A13 motorway, the old toll barriers continue to be dismantled, with a view to completion of the works by mid-2027 which should result in a time saving for users.

In Buchelay (Yvelines), only a few pieces of construction equipment still present on the verges indicate the location of the former toll barrier. Where twenty toll barriers once stood, the motorway now has two lanes in each direction, with a temporary speed limit of 90 km/h.

"The wearing course is missing, which cannot be laid in winter. In spring, the speed will be able to return to 110 km/h," says François Cornier, construction director.

In December 2024, the installation of the five detection gantries required only one night for Sanef (Société des autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France), which had simultaneously opened bypass lanes around the old barriers.

The free-flow toll system relies on cameras that read license plates and identify the vehicle class to automatically apply a toll. Drivers then have 72 hours to pay.

While the demolition work on the old barriers began in early 2025, the old Buchelay toll plaza was the first on the A13 to be completely dismantled and returned to free traffic in November.

"Motorists are once again driving in the center of the highway and we are now dismantling the temporary lanes located on the sides," explains Mr. Cornier.

The imposing toll barrier, which regularly caused slowdowns on this route linking Paris to Caen, is already just a distant memory.

"I am a regular user and I myself have trouble remembering exactly where the barrier was when I travel," said Arnaud Quémard, director of Sanef, during a press conference held on the site on Thursday.

Saving time and fuel

The redevelopment of the other former toll plazas will continue until mid-2027, with the completion of the last project in Bourneville (Eure).

According to Sanef, 83 million trips were recorded in one year and 95% of drivers paid spontaneously. "Users of the A13 have embraced this payment method," assures Arnaud Quémard.

Electronic toll collection accounts for 61% of transactions, the other payments are mostly made online (97%) or at a tobacconist (3%).

According to an OpinionWay survey, presented on Thursday and conducted among more than 2.000 motorists, 80% of motorists say they are familiar with the free flow system.

Nearly one in two users believes that free flow is an improvement over traditional tolling: reduced traffic congestion (88%), time savings (85%) and fuel savings (65%).

"Once the free flow has been experienced, the satisfaction is extremely high," analyzes Charlotte Cahuzac, deputy director of the opinion division at OpinionWay.

According to Sanef, the free-flowing A13 allows a saving of thirty minutes on the Paris-Caen journey and a fuel saving equivalent to the annual consumption of 11.000 vehicles, i.e. 30.000 tonnes of CO2 avoided.

In Buchelay, the demolition of the lateral facilities is due to be completed in 2026 and will be followed by a phase of soil de-artificialization.

The old 150-meter-wide toll barrier has been replaced by a 20-meter-wide roadway. "We are returning 2 to 3 hectares to nature on each side," explains Mr. Cornier.

In total, 28 hectares of green spaces need to be restored along the A13.

To carry out this project, Sanef and its project manager Setec are experimenting with a new method which consists of recreating fertile soil without importing topsoil, using materials from the site previously decompacted and mixed with compost.

Two years of trials on pilot plots in Buchelay have shown, according to Setec, good compost aggregation, satisfactory plant development, and rapid colonization by earthworms, "a sign of a functioning soil." Planting can begin at the Buchelay site as early as 2027.