The tunnel for tram line 2 remains at the center of the political debate in the Nice municipal elections. For the record, all candidates agree on an east-west line in addition to the one currently in service, while advocating, except for the outgoing mayor, its extension to La Trinité via Ariane.
For this Port-Airport transversal line, there are also dissenting voices regarding its initial and/or final destination at the Port, preferring a connection with the Riquier station.
However, there is complete unanimity against Christian Estrosi’s tunnel project, with everyone contributing to the polemic for different reasons: Safety, cost, time, and many more!
However, nothing has deterred the determination of the mayor of Nice: neither administrative appeals nor those of the courts. The contract has been awarded, contracts signed, and preparatory work has started at the Port.
Therefore, the election campaign is the last opportunity to rekindle the controversy and all candidates have declared that their first act, after election, would be to invalidate the contracts, which allows the outgoing mayor to point to them as responsible for numerous penalties that could exceed 100 million euros, entirely at the cost of the municipality.
Naturally, this thesis is not accepted by his opponents who claim to have valid reasons to do so.
The political aspect of this issue is what matters: Olivier Bettati, who, let’s not forget, voted for the resolution of the underground tram project (which many reproach him for), explains it as follows: “Yes, I changed my mind after acquiring knowledge of several points that had more or less deliberately been hidden from us. Moreover, when you are part of a majority, there is also a certain group discipline, and you are obliged to trust what we are told.”
But what are these new elements that should reassess a decision that has been made and validated by a public inquiry and a declaration of public utility?
Two clues: The difficulties of the Sulzer parking works (a technical commission having refused five times to authorize its activation due to water rise on the 6th basement) and especially the Port parking, whose works stopped in the face of encountered difficulties and the stories circulating around it…
In front of an audience largely composed of residents from Boulevard Victor Hugo, presumed victims of Christian Estrosi’s “tunneling” ambition, Olivier Bettati once again played his card with the scientific expertise of Professor Eric Gelli, a university professor and geologist, who, with an abundance of figures, scientific explanations, technical considerations, discredited the basic elements of the case: Alluvial layers in the subsoil especially in zones where the line will pass, possible underground water circulation, calcareous and gypsum soil which could allow or promote water rise.
Moreover, according to him, the nature of the soil combined with the excavation techniques could likely cause fractures in the affected buildings (a similar case would have already occurred in streets near the port due to work for the parking).
Finally, the costs denounced (€270M) are deemed not credible by the university expert who, given the ignored issues in the project, probable unforeseen difficulties, and necessary modifications and integrations, rather estimates it close to one billion euros.
In short, while digging a tunnel is far from a technological problem, many uncertainties remain regarding the outcomes. The skepticism of those present was palpable: the optimism of Christian Estrosi’s will or the pessimism of Olivier Bettati’s reason, who has embraced his expert’s reasons?
Indeed, the latter’s intervention was highly educational and supported by convincing elements.
Who to believe when one does not have the scientific competence to understand the value of most of these statements?
Would the ambition of the mayor of Nice to affirm his ideas extend to taking uncalculated and unmanageable risks?
We left the meeting still hungry, but fortunately, it was just dinner time!
