Tarn. Resumption of work on the A69, validated on appeal, "from mid-June"

The administrative court on Wednesday authorized the resumption of construction of the Toulouse-Castres motorway (A69), a project contested by environmental groups and halted since the end of February.

"The Toulouse Administrative Court of Appeal has issued a stay of execution of the judgments handed down on February 27, annulling the environmental permits issued by the State," the court wrote in a statement. The court was ruling on an emergency appeal filed by the State, seeking to restart the 53-kilometer construction site. It is still expected to rule on the merits of this case in several months.

What schedule?

Construction work on the A69 motorway will resume "gradually from mid-June," Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot announced. "The decision to resume work is a real relief," the minister said in a statement, expressing his hope that "work will resume as quickly as possible while remaining vigilant (...) in taking environmental protection issues into account."

And on the substance of the case?

The court was ruling on an urgent appeal filed by the state, seeking to restart the 53-kilometer construction site. It is still expected to rule on the merits of this case in several months. This decision comes five days before the National Assembly votes on a so-called "validation" bill, which was adopted by a large majority in the Senate on May 15. This bill is contested by opponents who consider it unconstitutional.

This parliamentary route plans to authorize the continuation of construction of the A69, without waiting for the administrative court of appeal to rule on the merits of the case. On February 27, to everyone's surprise, the Toulouse administrative court halted construction of this motorway, which began in 2023, due to the lack of a "compelling reason of major public interest (RIIPM)" justifying the environmental damage caused by the A69.

On May 21, during the hearing before the administrative court of appeal , the public rapporteur, a magistrate whose opinions are generally followed, said he was in favor of resuming the work, considering that the importance of the towns of Castres, Mazamet and Toulouse justified "by nature that they be connected by fast road infrastructure."

"There is no project that 'by nature' would have" a compelling reason of major public interest (RIIPM), replied Alice Terrasse, lawyer for Voie est libre, a collective of opponents.

Call for mobilization in July

Since the start of the work in March 2023, these environmental activists have occupied trees to prevent them from being cut down, attempted to set up ZADs ("zones to defend") along the route, and organized gatherings of thousands of people, sometimes punctuated by violent incidents with law enforcement. These environmental activists have also called for a new mobilization on July 4, 5, and 6, as well as rallies in front of the prefectures on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. to "let their anger explode."

In recent months, supporters of the A69 have also made their voices heard, notably by demonstrating en masse on March 8 in Castres with the slogan: "A69, we're done!" Like the Via81 association, they see the motorway as a solution to opening up the Castres-Mazamet population area, which has around 100,000 inhabitants.

However, for opponents, this basin is not landlocked and, even if it were, a motorway would certainly not be a guarantee of opening up, they criticize. The A69 was initially scheduled to be opened at the end of 2025, according to the company Atosca, in charge of the work. A resumption that will in any case be gradual, Atosca having to repatriate a thousand employees and numerous construction machines to the Tarn.