La Défense road tunnels

Towards a modernization of the road tunnels at La Défense

The road tunnels of La Défense, which are essential to the operation and logistics of the Business District, are the subject of a major modernisation programme, the aim of which is to rationalise their use and improve the quality and safety of underground services.

This concerted project, drawn up with all the players concerned, under the supervision of the prefectural authority, the national and departmental safety commissions and specialists from the Centre d'Etudes des Tunnels, has entered the operational phase with the first preliminary design studies in 2013.

The project is structured around a cross-cutting operation, deployed on all the structures in order to guarantee effective and uniform supervision (non-stop 24 hours a day), and for each tunnel, a specific programme of works adapted to its particular characteristics (in particular civil engineering, VRD, lighting).

From 2014, work on the cross operation began by securing the electrical power supply and optical transmission between all the tunnels and the Central Security Station.

A new Operating Support System is also being developed and will be commissioned in the first half of 2017. This system, which is specific to the La Défense business district, will meet the various operational challenges of the site built on slab and with numerous interdependencies between the structures: road tunnels, public spaces, technical galleries, etc.

At the same time, a first tunnel, called the Median Link, was renovated between July 2015 and July 2016. A second, the Lower Link, will be renovated at the end of 2018.

The modernization of these two lanes is the first step in an overall plan to renovate road tunnels that will run until 2022. Once they have been modernised, they will present a new face in line with the expectations of their users and the challenges of comfort, safety and sustainable development.