The express bus lane on the A7 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, southern France
Completion of works on the A52’s new Belcodène interchange, southern France, commissioned at the beginning of 2022.
● AN AGREEMENT WITH RÉGION SUD
In an extension of the low-carbon motorway agreement signed in 2019 with the Région Sud (formerly known as Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur) in south-east France, VINCI Autoroutes has agreed to a joint financing deal with this region – under the auspices of the French government – that will ease congestion and reduce the footprint of commuter journeys. A provisional sum of nearly €460 million will be invested in 13 projects on the regional road and motorway network, including the creation of 11 interchanges and half-interchanges that will improve motorway traffic flow in this region by removing daily congestion points.
The Gallargues carpool car park near the A9 in southern France, which opened in January 2021
Operation and services
● BUSINESS CONTINUITY
Throughout the year, the VINCI Autoroutes teams worked hard to ensure the continuity of motorway service. When the French government imposed lockdowns and ordered restaurants to close, they supported lorry drivers – as they did in 2020 – by handing out staple products and connecting with them over the airwaves on Radio VINCI Autoroutes (107.7 FM), particularly with the programme “Les routiers sont toujours aussi sympas” (truck drivers are still swell), which is now an integral part of daily life for road transport professionals. The teams also took action around extreme weather events. For example, after the floods that affected several of the network’s motorways (the A62 in Lot-et-Garonne, south-west France, and the A9 in the Gard, south-east France), they worked with government services to rescue and assist motorway users, and then repaired the damaged infrastructure.
● SAFETY, SERVICE QUALITY AND DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
To optimise safety conditions and quality of service continuously through motorway operations, VINCI Autoroutes equips all its maintenance and safety teams with latest-generation tools and information systems including job-specific tools like PaCo and
40 response vehicles were hit in 2021 on the VINCI Autoroutes network.