A28 motorway

VINCI Construction Grands Projet was approached by Cofiroute (VINCI subsidiary) to construct the Ecommoy-Tours segment of the A28 to complete the Alençon-Le Mans-Tours motorway. This 57.5 km stretch of the A28 motorway is a key link in the Calais-Rouen-Bordeaux-Bayonne corridor, offering an alternative for traffic between northern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula to bypass the Paris region. The project includes sections that link up the A10 with the A28 Alençon-Le Mans-Tours: Ecommoy-Montabon, (15.2 km), Montabon-RN 138 (12.8 km) and RN 138-Tours (29.3 km).

BACKGROUND

The construction of this segment was part of the Paris bypass project to avoid Greater Paris for long distance travel between the north and southwest of France. It forms the final link in the A28 route between Alençon, Le Mans and Tours.
This 57.5 km “missing link” between Ecommoy (Sarthe) and Tours (Indre-et-Loire) was officially inaugurated on 12 December 2005.
The motorway’s new portion connects Le Mans to Tours in just 45 minutes. With its 14,000 daily users, the A28 participates in the local development of the area and provides a service to residents by improving their daily commute.

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

To respond to high performance requirements, a soil treatment technique was used in the excavation of upper parts and capping layers, both on site and at the plant to optimise the road structures. This effectively addressed the problem of the depletion of natural resources.
A first constraint emerged during the project: the Loir crossing. So, we had to build a structure to cross it.
Another difficulty also emerged: the existence of compressible areas to the north of the site. This part of the land, composed of alluvial materials (mud, clay, peat) could not support the weight of several metres of backfill without significant compacting. So, the solution chosen was to load this land gradually. The insertion of vertical drains also helped increase the consolidation of this ground by facilitating the rise of the water.
Finally, this project distinguished itself for the ecological genius of its construction. In the road network operated by Cofiroute, nearly 50 structures were built to allow the passage of deer, roe deer and boars. To limit the barrier effect and collision risks, 31 structures, including five specific ones, were designed for small wild animals (fox, weasel, hedgehog, stone marten). Noise pollution studies were conducted for this road project to find a balance between improving the road network and maintaining a good quality of life. As a result, 2,750 m of noise barriers (sound walls and screens) were installed in this section.

The promotion of local materials has become common practice, particularly at Cofiroute. There are many technical, economic and environmental advantages.

IMPACT

Dans un souci de préservation du milieu naturel, l’autoroute traite toutes les eaux pluviales qu’elle collecte. Ainsi, des fossés enherbés ou imperméabilisés assurent une première décantation des matières en suspension. Puis, les eaux sont dirigées vers des bassins qui, par décantation, vont assurer la rétention des hydrocarbures et le stockage des particules. Après passage dans un déshuileur, les eaux traitées peuvent être rejetées dans le milieu naturel.
Les bassins sont là pour assurer la décantation des eaux, écrêter les crues en aval et stocker une éventuelle pollution accidentelle.
Guidée par les préconisations de Bernard Lassus, architecte-paysagiste, la démarche d’aménagement paysager s’est donnée comme objectif d’ouvrir à l’automobiliste le plus de champs visuels possibles, tout en intégrant au mieux les préoccupations des riverains. Ainsi, sur cette section de l’A28, plus de 1 000 arbres, 5 000 arbustes et 70 000 jeunes végétaux ont été plantés. Ces variétés sont bien sûr en cohérence avec le milieu environnant et sont intégrés au paysage local.

Project participants

Client
Cofiroute

Project management
Socaso – Scao

Key figures

Implementation dates
November 2002 to February 2006    

Ecommoy-Montabon Section
Topsoil removed: 225,000 m³ Excavation used as backfill: 1.5 million m³
Dumped excavation: 500,000m³
Capping layer: 150,000 m³

Testimonial

“Our environmental commitments are based on the concerns of local actors. Numerous field studies were conducted to assess the quality and effectiveness of our developments. They were conducted to enhance residents’ quality of life, preserve the biodiversity of the area and add value to the local heritage.”

Thierry Charlemagne, PROJECT LEADER