More details are emerging on the controversial underground “hopper” system between the Moyenne Corniche and Monaco, including a provisional completion date of the end of 2026.
We don’t quite know how it will be achieved or when work will begin, but information regarding the cost and the timeframe of the underground funnel system between Chemin des Cyclamens and Avenue du Général de Gaulle has slowly begun to be released by the authorities involved.
With a complicated system involving traffic lights, a sharp turn and an ineffective roundabout-esque set up, the current intersection is just the start of what becomes a line of traffic that snakes back for kilometres during rush hours. Accidents are commonplace, but even if the road is navigated safely, the jams can still add massive delays to travel times.
In short, the 15,000 commuters who make the daily trek in and out of Monaco via this famous “malfunction junction” on its western edge know all too well that a solution to the localised traffic problem must be found – and quickly.
MOVING AHEAD
A meeting of technicians and engineers from the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis was held on 3rd October, whereafter the proposed plans to build an underground artery to alleviate the current situation was presented to Mayor of Cap d’Ail Xavier Beck, who earlier this year moved against the project, and local residents.
“The objective is to create a two-way hopper,” confirmed Richard Henry, Director of Infrastructure and Public Spaces at the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis. “We are still working on principles. The technical studies have not started, so the finalised images have not been made.”
The creation of an underground section will eliminate the traffic lights at Avenue du Général de Gaulle and Chemin des Cyclamens, allowing light vehicles to pass freely without the need to stop. Heavy goods vehicles (HGV) will continue to use the surface street.
MONACO FINANCING LION’S SHARE
The Principality has reportedly agreed to pay €8.8 million of the €11 million project. Monaco is also believed to be financing €15.5 million of the €20.5 million required to increase the size of the road between the Centre Hospitalier Princesse Grasse and the Boulevard de Jardin Exotique roundabout at the entrance into the Principality, which is another section of the round that causes excessive build-ups of traffic.
The Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis also has a provisional schedule in mind: the project could be finished by the end of 2026, barring any significant administrative, geological or political delays.
READ RELATED:
Work continues on plan to ease traffic jams in Cap d’Ail despite appeal
Make sure you’re never left out of the conversation.
Sign up for the Monaco Life newsletter, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Photo source: Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis