Residents, businesses and companies evacuated from buildings near the former Collège Charles III can return home after six days in hotels, the Monaco government announced on Tuesday, following technical reports showing sufficient progress on embankment reinforcement work.

The government, in coordination with French authorities including the Prefecture and Beausoleil municipality, permitted the return after experts confirmed that emergency stabilisation measures had adequately secured the retaining wall above the former college building.

Seven anchor ties have been installed and activated on the failing wall, with three more to be completed by the end of the week, the government stated. Additional monitoring measures will be implemented to continuously evaluate the situation.

Permanent surveillance and emergency plans

Reinforcement work will continue to ensure long-term stability of the embankment overlooking the building, the government confirmed. Minister of State Christophe Mirmand has asked Monaco’s Fire Brigade to maintain an operational plan ready and provide affected residents with guidance on procedures to follow if necessary.

At an information meeting held before residents left their hotel accommodation, Mirmand reaffirmed the government’s permanent attention to the situation and thanked all those displaced for six days for their cooperation, which he said allowed the operation to proceed under good conditions.

Avenue de l’Annonciade has also reopened to traffic in its entirety from Tuesday 30th December.

Students won’t return to old classrooms

However, the 840 high school students who have been using the former Collège Charles III since September will not return to their previous classrooms. Reinforcement work still required on the wall behind the building’s blocks 1 and 2, and its encroachment on the site, makes student return impossible.

The government says it is finalising arrangements with all relevant parties to install classrooms at other sites as quickly as possible to resume in-person teaching.

The decision on resuming sports, community and recreational activities hosted in the former Technical High School building will be made based on measurements communicated after the three additional anchor ties are activated on Friday.

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Photo credit: Stéphane Danna, Government Communications Department