Route du Littoral

Also called road Cliff , the road of the Littoral is a thirteen kilometers length section of the Trunk road 1 connecting Saint-Denis and the Possession, with the Meeting.

It was delivered the March 5th 1976 after 29 months of work. It cost 230 franc million.

This 2x2 ways has this of private individual to be located at the foot of a cliff geologically unstable from which fall regularly from very large rock blocks, especially after a rainy episode. These falls already made 18 victims mortals since the opening of the road, the last goes back to it the March 24th 2006 in the morning. Also, in the event of cyclonic swell, the road is rocked, i.e. prohibited for half and becomes one 2+1 ways. It is the case per annum on average 64 days.

An expensive programme of covering of cliff by nets of protection was currently launched and is under development. Later on, an alternative to this road will have to be found. The continual repair of the ways and the amounts eroded by the sea makes it very expensive to maintain.

The Ségatier Michel Admette sang the cliff road .

Projects of improvement

DDE seems to be directed towards a road towards pile, plus 1,5 km of tunnel on arrival on the chief town but refuses to let consult its file and the politicians to hold a Référendum. Luçay Maillot proposes an alternative of the passage in via the Mountain with only one tunnel of approximately 3,5 km to connect Saint-Denis to the White Brook, more approximately 7,5 km of ways with bridges while going up to 375 Mr.

Karl Bichik has just left a book " the road of the littoral, history and devenir" which mentions various projects, of which that of reprofiler the cliff to the Azalées editions. ISBN: 2-915923-21-3

History of the road

September 1946: DEBATEs with the General advice on and the equipment modernization plan of the island and study of Emile Hugot, P. - D.G of the Sugar refineries of Bourbon for a road between Saint-Denis and Possession at the edge of cliff dominating the sea.
Beginning of the Years 1950: 3 solutions of the engineer Marcel Green walnut. Road improvement of the Mountain, creation of a road at the top or to the foot of cliff.
1955 : 2 solutions adopted by general engineer Jean Bourgoin. High of cliff or that of the cornice.
1957 - 1958: Layout of the cornice ratified. Work completed by a Malagasy company.
1963 : startup of the Cliff road, road with 2 ways for the cars. Up to 1963, only the train crossed cliff, the cars were to take the mountain road. Quickly the Cliff road becomes the axis more borrowed island, but the users are confronted with the problem of stone falls.
1973 : Beginning of widening of the road with 4 ways, duration of the work 29 months.
March 5th 1976: Delivery of the 4 ways, cost 230.000.000 FRF.
1980 at our days: Progressive installation of protective systems, nets, brackets, etc

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