Project to dual the RN10 in Charente not a priority

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Despite the angry protests by local elected officials in south Charente, the project to dual the stretch of the RN10 between Reignac and Chevanceaux was not included in the recovery plan announced by the prime minister on Monday.

A thousand projects were given funding as part of a plan to help fight the economic crisis, and Poitou-Charentes has been given the green light for a number of initiatives, but there was disappointment that the RN10 was not amongst them.

Some 7m euros were granted to complete work on the by-pass at La Rochefoucauld, 5.5m euros for upgrading the RN11 between Poitiers and La Rochelle, and 3.8m euros for various 'operations of maintenance' of the RN10 and RN137.

All is not lost however, with a further plan to be announced at the end of February, relating to the modernisation of the national roads network.  The government may release funds as part of a loan agreement, with a possible 52.3 million euros being made available to Charentes in 2009.  If forthcoming, the money would be used to finance the by-pass at Chevauds (RN10), start work on the by-pass of Chabanais (RN141), and start the project to dual the Reignac to Chevanceaux section of the RN10.

There are doubts over whether this money will be forthcoming though, and there is some political negotiation to be done over the coming weeks.  There could be some 180 million euros made available to Charente between 2009 and 2013 as part of the modernisation plan, but Charente may have to finally agree to fund the LGV Sud-Atlantique rail line in return, something that Charente Council president Michel Boutant has been reluctant to do so far.

Last month elected officials from the 3B in south Charente blocked the RN10 in protest at the lack of progress in upgrading the 11.4km stretch of road, which has become an accident blackspot.