The start of work on the Nice-Airport multimodal exchange hub marks the actual operational phase of development for the Éco-Vallée.
On Friday, August 30, the first works related to the construction of the Grand Arenas and the Nice-Airport multimodal exchange hub began with the demolition of two buildings.
This symbolic act signifies the first phase of work on the development of the Éco-Vallée National Interest Operation.
It’s good news that will be even better when symbolic acts turn into project realizations.
The Éco-Vallée is a controversial project, but since we’re here… it’s best to prioritize action over inaugurations!
However, it should not be forgotten that this is the most important strategic axis for the Nice territory, a region that is part of the French Mediterranean arc, which the recent Eurostat study has classified as “low follower,” placing it in the 6th category out of 9 in the attractiveness ranking (an index composed of 53 elements).
Just a reminder to elected officials and others entitled that time is not a neutral variable!
The Public Development Establishment of the Var plain has been entrusted, by all the partners signing the partnership protocol for the Éco-Vallée, with the creation of public spaces for the Nice-Airport multimodal exchange hub, which will eventually be able to accommodate up to 17 million travelers per year.
Creating a multimodal exchange hub over an area of 8 hectares at the gates of the Nice Côte d’Azur airport and adjacent to the railway line will allow for optimal connection between modes of transportation and will significantly increase the efficiency of the public transport network.
Moreover, realizing such a project is of paramount importance for all the urban projects of the Éco-Vallée, particularly for the future Grand Arenas district and the exhibition park project, which will benefit from a privileged position in Europe, serving as an area accessible by nearly all means of transport and located at the heart of the Côte d’Azur destination.
The Nice-Airport multimodal exchange hub will thus play a major and structuring role for the Eco-Valley and for the entire Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis. It constitutes the first and main link of a true network of multimodal hubs spanning the Eco-Valley in the service of sustainable mobility.
After several months of studies, consultations, and partnership work, the construction work for the multimodal hub is beginning. This is a first phase of preparatory work, and these are the first works managed by the EPA, contributing to the realization of an exceptional project that meets the objectives of the Eco-Valley: eco-exemplarity, economic development, and sustainable development.
These works will significantly alter the neighborhood’s layout by creating a spine consisting of a new North-South road crossing the railway, recreating a quality public space that connects different transportation functionalities.
This axis of the hub – dedicated exclusively to public transport and soft modes – will allow pedestrians, bicycles, taxis, trams, urban and interurban buses/coaches, and airport shuttles to travel between the airport and the road to Grenoble and then continuing along Boulevard Paul Montel to the Allianz Arena via the future 40m road. Special care is taken in integrating nature into the project.
A key element of the project, the construction of a 40m wide rail bridge, represents a new crossing of the railway at the intersection of Lindbergh Avenue and Cassin Boulevard, rebalancing the orientation of the urban fabric and circulation in a North-South direction. It will enable the passage of the future tram line coming from the center of Nice to the two airport terminals in the south and CADAM in the north.
Therefore, the Nice-Airport multimodal hub will connect the airport, the railway line, the tram network, the urban and interurban bus network, the autobleue and vélobleu services, and road infrastructures with a substantial offer of park-and-ride facilities (1150 spaces).
