Bring on the bypass!

By Julie on April 19, 2009 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This is the view from my bedroom window in Pierrefeu. It'd be lovely to sleep with the windows open like this when it's very hot, but I can't. Why? Because from about 5am onwards, huge big lorries start rumbling through the village on the road below.   Quite often they are bin lorries from Toulon and round about, heading to the dump on the Collobrieres road.   And they are massive, smelly and dirty...

When I first bought my house in 2002, I asked why the village put up with this.  Michelle, in the Bar Central, called it 'la honte de Pierrefeu' (Pierrefeu's shame) and hinted that the Mairie actually benefitted financially in some way for letting the village be a main artery for juggernauts.  Others just shrugged, and watched as yet another huge trunker had to squeeze past a school bus or a tractor-trailer pulling a load of vines.

But there may be good news for Pierrefeu.  Last week, an open meeting was held to lay out plans for a detour which will lessen traffic through the village - lorries and cars.

Var Matin's report outlined the options and some of the comments from locals - especially those who live in the area where it's likely to be built, down in the valley.  However, when you see the numbers of vehicles we're talking about - 20,000 lorries a year and 6000 plus cars a day - it's hard to see where there can be valid objections. 

It won't be cheap at 14 million euros.  But I'm willing to start a small fund now, if it helps...

Tags:

• pierrefeu du var traffic detour bypass village