In a remote corner of France, an unfinished highway is being transformed into one of the country’s most complex infrastructure projects: the longest multi-billion-euro bridge ever built in France extends for kilometers into the Indian Ocean, reports Zakon.kz.
As Naked Science reports, years after construction began, a significant portion of the road is still missing. The bridge is being built on Réunion Island.
Located east of Madagascar, Réunion is a volcanic island in the Indian Ocean. Despite its remoteness and proximity to the tropics, it is an integral part of France.
The new highway is intended to replace the existing coastal road connecting Saint-Denis, the island’s capital, with the port city of Le Port.
Built in 1959, the old road runs along a narrow strip between the ocean and sheer volcanic cliffs. Around 80,000 vehicles travel along it daily, making it one of the island’s most important transportation arteries. And one of the most dangerous.
With a total length of 12.5 kilometers and the project still incomplete, the cost has already exceeded two billion euros, making it one of the most expensive road bridges of its type.
We previously reported on the opening of one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world.
