This is the story of a prefect, a regional councilor close to Emmanuel Macron, a president of the metropolis, a deputy mayor and a deputy mayor who gets on a bus to criss-cross the northern districts of Marseille, after a certain president gave a lot of money to open up these cities. This is the story told this Thursday morning Laurent Carrié, charged by the president with monitoring the Marseille plan on a large scale, Jean-Pierre Serrus, Martine Vassal, Samia Ghali, in front of an audience of journalists on a highly sensitive subject: the public transport service of these districts which are completely deprived of it, raised to the rank of priority by the President of the Republic. For several hours, these elected officials crisscrossed the northern districts of Marseille, on the route of the tramway which will eventually go to the intermodal center of Saint-Antoine.
Last week, during a meeting of the public interest group which oversees the transport projects promoted by Emmanuel Macron, Martine Vassal indeed confirmed this project, which elected officials and prefects came to see with their own eyes. , construction helmets on the head. The tramway phase, currently under construction, will aim to connect the Arenc station to the Capitaine Gèze station. Two stations are planned. The first, called Salengro Bachas, should be ready in mid-2024. The second, Salengro Cougit, should be delivered in 2025, for commissioning in the second quarter of 2025. year ? asks Laurent Carrié, perhaps burned by the bad experiences of the past in terms of services to the northern districts, like the Capitaine Gèze metro station delivered four years late. “The message got through,” retorts with a hint of annoyance Martine Vassal. We are going to have particular attention and we are going to be very strict about meeting deadlines. »
A problematic slope
The rest of the tram route, however, remains particularly vague. Regularly, while the bus crosses what should be the future route of the tram, the elected officials turn to the technicians of the metropolis, somewhat skeptical about the feasibility of the project. “And there, is it okay?, asks Samia Ghali, as the bus enters a fairly narrow lane. “We will widen to the right and to the left”, answers a technician from the metropolis.
“How is it going to be?” asks Samia Ghali. Does that mean there won’t be any more cars? Because I trust you moderately…” Further on, the necessary widening of two bridges by the SNCF also raises concerns. “It can take 18 months,” says Catherine Pila, president of the RTM. Above all, the difference in height that such a tramway would take, especially near the Castellane city, seems rather perilous, this mode of transport having great difficulty with the slopes. “There are two itineraries that are being considered today, explains Martine Vassal. There are technical difficulties on certain passages. “What to take, still late? “You have all this on your tables, you have to look, launches the president of the metropolis. But the schedule will be kept. “A question that will most certainly be asked, in turn, by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Tuesday, during her scheduled meeting at Matignon with Martine Vassal.