ROCADE L2 MARSEILLE (A507)

The L2 ring road (A507) linking the A7 and A50 motorways around Marseille is a TEN-T project. Under a 30-year partnership agreement, the successful candidate is to build the L2 North section (around 4 km long) and complete the construction of the L2 East section (around 6 km long). The candidate will also be responsible for the repair, maintenance, renewal and technical management of the facilities and equipment for the entire L2 ring road, whilst the Government will take charge of operating it.
The EIB loan will concern the North section of the L2.

The purpose of the project is to: (i) reduce the amount of through traffic on city centre roads and the level of local traffic between the suburbs; (ii) improve the quality of life of the people living in the areas affected by the traffic by ending the feeling of being cut off and reducing noise and air pollution; and (iii) help to develop modes of public transport both in the areas affected by the through traffic and the city centre.

The L2 ring road was included in the Development and Urban Planning Master Plan for the Marseille conurbation before the application of Directive 2001/42/EC on the strategic environmental assessment. The project falls within the categories listed in Annex I to Directive 97/11/EC and has therefore been subject to an environmental impact assessment (EIA) in accordance with French administrative procedures, which fully incorporate Community legislation.

The EIA procedure was launched in the context of the process concerning the Declaration of Public Utility (DUP), which was obtained on 16/11/2010 for L2 North and 31/12/1992 for L2 East. Environmental support measures were advocated and their implementation will be examined as part of the project appraisal.

The promoter is bound by Community directives on procurement procedures, in particular Directive 2004/17/EC. Accordingly, the EIB will examine these procurement procedures at the appraisal stage.