Paris two-deck tunnel opens
11 January 2011
The A86 Duplex (two-deck) tunnel on the outer ring road around Paris was inaugurated on January 8 and the second section of the A86 Duplex, covering the 5,5 km between Vaucresson and Vélizy, opened to traffic the next day.
This was six months ahead of the date in the concession contract signed by Cofiroute with the French government. Cofiroute - a private sector company owned by Vinci and Bouygues Group subsidiary Colas - operates a network in centre-west France of the A10, A11, A28, A71, A81 and A85, as well as the A86 Duplex, which was built by Vinci companies for Cofiroute. It will be operating the A86 Duplex under concession until 2086, and it represents an investment of € 2,2 billion.
It is expected that the A86 Duplex will enable drivers to complete the 10 km trip between Rueil-Malmaison (Hauts-de-Seine) and Vélizy (Yvelines) in less than 10 minutes, compared to over 45 minutes on average using surface roads.
The first section of the A86 Duplex, opened to traffic in July 2009, cut travel time between Rueil-Malmaison and Vaucresson to just five minutes. It is used by over 13000 vehicles on average every day, with travel peaks of 15000 vehicles a day.
Designed, built, financed and operated by Cofiroute, this new-generation urban tunnel forms the final western link of the A86 motorway, the second ring road in the Paris region after the inner ring road (boulevard périphérique).
The tunnel, which primarily facilitates travel between La Défense and Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines / Vélizy, major economic hubs in the Paris Region, is said to make a major contribution to improving the mobility of residents.
The A86 Duplex, reserved for light vehicles, consists of two superimposed decks carrying traffic moving in opposite directions.
