For example, the A57 project in Toulon had logged 152,562 integration hours at end-2024, over double the initial commitment.
The western Montpellier bypass
As part of the amendment to ASF’s concession contract, VINCI Autoroutes will build the western Montpellier bypass (southern France). The new 6.5 km long dual carriageway, connecting the A709 and A750 motorways, will create a suitable route for intercity and peri-urban traffic, integrating bus rapid transit lines while freeing up secondary roads for local communities. At a total cost of €270 million, the work will also involve building five interchanges and a motorway overpass. The land use assessment conducted in spring 2024 was approved by the review committee, and VINCI Autoroutes continued the technical and environmental surveys and began rerouting utilities ahead of work beginning in 2026.
Rehabilitating land around motorways
Following on from operations to reduce the impact of motorway infrastructure on ecosys-tems, VINCI Autoroutes has been working on the ecological regeneration of green spaces since 2021. As part of the partnership agreement with France’s National Forest Office, 119 sites have been analysed, with recommendations made regarding their rehabilitation. Projects include planting trees at the Gript Nord service area (A10) and creating prairies and wetlands as well as planting native species of trees at former service areas in Vendée (A83).
In addition, sustainable methods for maintaining the network’s green spaces help to better understand how natural spaces evolve and thus coordinate human intervention with the life cycles of flora and fauna.
Moreover, the VINCI Autoroutes Foundation supports projects to conserve and restore natural assets beyond the land on and around motorways. Indeed, 70 projects led by non-profit organisations or local authorities in areas crossed by the network have been awarded funding in the past three years.
Operations
Safety
VINCI Autoroutes’ operating teams work throughout the year to ensure user safety and quality of service on its motorways. All its maintenance and safety teams use connected, cutting-edge tools and information systems to improve operational efficiency. The École des Métiers de l’Autoroute (EMA), a training centre for motorway workers set up by VINCI Autoroutes in 2022, also helps enhance operational excellence in motorway professions. In addition to developing initial training and continuous learning programmes for company employees, the centre continues to work more closely with people in road professions such as emergency services, breakdown mechanics and public works companies to train them in staying safe while working on the road.
Although drivers are five times safer on motorways than other roads, year after year, accident rates prove that inattention due to drowsiness, fatigue and distracted or irresponsible driving continue to endanger patrollers and their partners tasked with motorway safety, with potentially tragic outcomes. On 3 March 2024, a patroller working on the A8 on the Escota network lost their life when they were hit by a driver while dealing with a car and assisting its passengers after an accident, despite having put out cones to secure the area. Over the course of the year, 43 response vehicles were hit across the VINCI Autoroutes network. In its continuous efforts to raise awareness about responsible driving, the VINCI Autoroutes Foundation conducted over 100 initiatives in 2024, in collaboration with VINCI Autoroutes staff, including the operation “Quand allez-vous percuter ?” (When is it going to hit home?). During it, 27 accident-damaged response vehicles were installed near busy toll plazas. The video shared on social media and TV to raise awareness notched up nearly 70 million views.
The responsible driving survey carried out annually by the VINCI Autoroutes Foundation nevertheless found that high-risk behaviours persist. The 14th annual survey revealed that 65% of drivers admit to using their smartphone while driving, 43% get behind the wheel even though they are feeling very tired, and 67% do not systematically change lanes when approaching patrol vans.
Alongside initiatives to raise awareness, innovation is also an effective way to improve safety for people working on the roads. Developed in collaboration with the subsidiary Cyclope.ai, the PatrolCare system combines smart cameras and artificial intelligence to create a virtual safety lane around the stationary vehicle. As soon as a vehicle is detected coming dangerously close to the safe area, a loud alarm is triggered to warn the patroller and driver. By end-2025, 200 VINCI Autoroutes response vehicles will be equipped with the system, recognised by the 2024 road safety innovation awards in the Road Worker Safety category.
1In 2024, the École des Métiers de l’Autoroute (EMA) trained and educated 500 people, providing a total of 26,000 hours of training.
2The hard-hitting campaign “Quand allez-vous percuter ?” urges drivers to take care when at the wheel and educates them about the safety of motorway workers.