It’s a radiant Christian Estrosi who, under a clear sky colored a beautiful azure, presented to a crowd a newborn that will accompany the life of Nice for the next year.
Welcome to “Catherine,” which is not the Niçoise heroine returned among us—to the great joy of Cristou Daurore, the friendly bard of the ephemeral “Republica de Nissa,” naturally present at the ceremony—but the tunnel boring machine that will dig the underground section of line 2 (from the port to the airport).
Moreover, it is well understood: for the mayor of Nice, the tramway project remains the pinnacle of his program for the renewal and modernization of the city. A few days earlier, the Council of State had rejected the appeal from two associations and made this project final and irreversible, which should be operational between the end of 2018 and spring 2019.
“It’s a great day in the life of the project,” concluded the mayor of Nice, under applause that intensified when, after changing hats, Christian Estrosi announced an increase in the Region’s subsidy for this project.
After having long claimed that “the region is useless,” Christian Estrosi did not take much time to understand that it can serve many purposes. The first being, when you have the keys to the treasury, to give a boost to the city’s debt.
When they say a pro is a pro…
To return to the more technical aspect, the line will be 11.3 km long with 20 stations, following the West-East axis of the city, with two branches to the West: a North branch of 1.7 km, heading towards the Var plain, going from Saint-Augustin to Nikaïa and the Administrative Departmental Center (CADAM); a South branch of 1.9 km, serving the two airport terminals from Saint-Augustin.
The line continues on a common trunk of 7.7 km, from the future multimodal hub of Saint-Augustin in the West towards the eastern neighborhoods. It continues its route in the city center underground (4 stations) until the port of Nice.
The tunnel boring machine Catherine measures nearly 78 m long and weighs 1,400 tons, with a cutter wheel diameter of 9.68 m. It advances at a speed of 10 meters/day, 24/7 for 6 days with no noise disturbance. The duration of the excavation is 11 months.
On the political side, the municipal and metropolitan councilor Gaël Nofri’s declaration is noted, who, after having been an opponent, expresses his support for the project.
“Despite the doubt I had and continue to have about the relevance of choosing an underground route for Tramway line 2, particularly due to the additional cost it entails, I am pleased to learn that this project will receive co-financing from the PACA Region, which will alleviate the burden on the Metropolis and thus on the Niçoise taxpayer. The Côte d’Azur, long the poor child in terms of regional subsidy, can only rejoice in this development. Opponents of the tunnel principle, we must now accept the idea that it is a decided and voted fact. From now on, we must all wish for the best in its realization, financing, commissioning, and, tomorrow, its operation.”
If even the opponents are in favor…
