Three years of work, 10 km of dyke, NGE completes a major flood prevention work involving 55.000 people

This operation is part of the Rhône Plan, implemented by the State and the Regions, and more particularly the program for securing the Rhône dikes from the Vallabrègues dam to the sea, supported by SYMADREM since 2007.

The site mobilized up to 100 earthmoving machines at peak activity. A 10 km longitudinal hydraulic protection structure, this first-rate dike is made up of two sections, one resistant to overflow and one millennial. So-called “dual-zone”, the structure consists of double protection, waterproof upstream and weight downstream. The assembly is secured by a drain filter over the entire shelf.

In total, this work represents 1,6 million cubic meters of excavated material with the objective of reusing the excavated soil. The water content of the materials made it necessary to implement specific earthwork methodologies and river protection procedures for part of the land extracted directly from the Rhône.

“The most restrictive on this site was the water content of the materials. We have worked a lot on their reuse. To do this, we have mobilized expert teams at home, making it possible to carry out this highly technical project of which we are proud for the Arles region, the historic cradle of earthworks with Guintoli ” Grégoire Becker, agency director

Key figures

• Watertight cuttings / fill 1.600.000 m3
• Concrete rip-rap 300.000 T
• Drain filter 30/60 200.000 m3