1. Home
  2. / Industry
  3. / France spends 2 billion dollars to build just 12 km highway around an island – but why? 
reading time 3 min read Comments 4 comments

France spends 2 billion dollars to build just 12 km highway around an island – but why? 

Written by Valdemar Medeiros
Published 19/08/2024 às 14:10
Updated 18/08/2024 às 22:42
France spends 2 billion dollars to build just 12 km highway around an island – but why?
Photo: Playback/Youtube
Be the first to react!
React to article

Find out why France is investing in a highway around an island. 12 km long, this highway involves a billion-dollar investment and promises to transform the region.

In 2013, a small island on the African continent announced the construction of a highway to connect its two main cities. The announcement of this work could go completely unnoticed, mainly because it is a highway of just 12 and a half km, but there was a particularity about this project that caught the attention of many people. The initial budget was 1,6 billion dollars. Understand why France is building a highway around an island.

Understand why France is building a highway around an island

The island was formed on two volcanoes, one of them called Bico das Neves in free translation, which became extinct around 12 thousand years ago and two thirds of the Island's territory is located on it. The other volcano Pico da Fornalha is considered one of the most active volcanoes in the world, erupting constantly.

All this volcanic activity created a distinct landscape, with many mountains, valleys and, as you can imagine, this created immense difficulties in moving between different parts of the Island.

In relation to traffic, we also add the fact that this territory has a high number of vehicles per inhabitants, with almost one car for every two residents. So many cars on hilly terrain and few roads made traffic chaos with huge congestion.

The connection between the island's main cities is made by a road built at the foot of a cliff, where pieces of rocks constantly break off and hit the track. Since 1980, 20 deaths have been recorded due to falling rocks on the highway. This explains why France is building a highway around an island.

Work on the highway around the island began in 2014

The idea that solved all the problems at once was the construction of a highway over the sea, between 50 and 200 meters away from the cliff and high enough for the road to be out of reach of the waves. This highway around the island would only have one small problem: The Cost. At the time the works were announced, the Cost per kilometer of highway built was estimated at 133 million dollars and total construction should reach 1,6 billion dollars.

In fact, work on the highway around the island began in 2014 and according to the project, around 6,5 km of the highway would be built on two stretches of embankment that extend over the sea and the other part would be built using viaducts, one with 5,5 km long and another small viaduct that should connect the two stretches of embankment.

A The initial forecast was that the highway around the island would be opened in 2020. In addition to the high costs, a project of this size in this environment presents technical and construction challenges. Winds in the region reach an impressive 140 km per hour and waves reach up to 10 m high. 

The construction of the highway around the island

To make execution possible, it was necessary to set up manufacturing centers for the precast concrete structures at points far from the installation site and transport them to their final destination. To achieve this, a huge number of large cranes and cranes were needed, as well as transport ferries.

After the start of the works, the government and those responsible discovered that the problems to be faced went beyond the high budget and technical difficulties, but the works of the viaduct progressed and continued in accordance with the planned schedule. 

Register
Notify
guest
4 Comments
Older
Last Most voted
Feedbacks
View all comments
Adalberto Amorim de Jesus
Adalberto Amorim de Jesus
19/08/2024 21:30

A project of this size in Brazil never gets off the ground because of politicians who like to take advantage of everything. Just remember the “bullet train” project.

Moacir Medeiros
Moacir Medeiros
In reply to  Adalberto Amorim de Jesus
20/08/2024 06:17

Exactly my friend, our biggest problem in Brazil is endemic corruption. City halls, I mean mayors and councilors, most of them are there to enrich themselves with public money (I mean the population's money). Without a shadow of a doubt, it is the biggest cancer of the Brazilian nation. It is called city halls, where the country's robbery all begins. The TCE is useless, it accepts everything from municipalities, even blank paper, and 80% of political parties are criminal organizations against the depoliticized Brazilian people, especially right-wing parties.

Jairus
Jairus
In reply to  Moacir Medeiros
20/08/2024 10:21

I agree that political parties are criminal organizations that only make people available to voters who serve their interests. I just think the math is wrong: for me it's not eighty percent of them but one hundred percent.

Paulo Fernandes
Paulo Fernandes
21/08/2024 13:34

I've never seen such a **** report. What the **** island is that? Why does the author of the **** text omit the name of the island? To save its respectability? Is the island underage? Well, go fuck yourself!

Valdemar Medeiros

Journalist in training, specialist in creating content with a focus on SEO actions. Writes about the Automotive Industry, Renewable Energy and Science and Technology

Share across apps
0
We would love your opinion on this subject, comment!x