Eiffage set to be concessionaire for France’s RCEA project

France’s Transport Ministry has chosen construction and concessions group Eiffage as the single prospective concessionaire for the project to complete the Route Centre-Europe Atlantique. The east-west RCEA is considered to be one of the most dangerous routes in France, according to government statistics. Some sections of the route, also called the Route Nationale 79, has been upgraded into a four-lane motorway over the past several decades. The plan is make the remaining two-lane sections into four-lanes
June 17, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
France’s Transport Ministry has chosen construction and concessions group 5871 Eiffage as the single prospective concessionaire for the project to complete the Route Centre-Europe Atlantique.


The east-west RCEA is considered to be one of the most dangerous routes in France, according to government statistics. Some sections of the route, also called the Route Nationale 79, has been upgraded into a four-lane motorway over the past several decades. The plan is make the remaining two-lane sections into four-lanes.

French media reported that negotiations will now begin to finalise the project that could cost as much as €600 million, according to an estimate made last year by Benoît de Ruffray, chief executive of Eiffage.

The concession – which will not be bolstered with any public money – must include the provision for  clean vehicles and the deployment of electric vehicle charging equipment.

The project must be finalised by France’s transport regulator ARAFER and then given the go-ahead by the State Council, likely by the end of the year.

Finance & Funding

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • PPRS in Nice – a focus on maintenance initiatives, says Eiffage chief
    March 9, 2018
    Road transport is an essential element of the mobility of people and the transport of goods. Thus, maintaining the road infrastructures in good condition and constantly adapting them to the needs of the public and businesses has become an imperative. “The upkeep and modernisation of road networks is an important part of Eiffage Group's business in France and abroad,” says Benoît de Ruffray, chief executive of Eiffage. “In recent years, we have witnessed a significant reduction in road maintenance budgets as
    Read More
  • Julián Núñez, head of ASECAP offers a little Spanish enlightenment
    May 1, 2018
    Julián Núñez, president of ASECAP, gets his teeth into the vision of a European strategy for toll roads. David Arminas reports from Madrid Getting European politicians to agree to a long-term cross-border highway infrastructure programme for toll roads is extremely difficult. It’s a bit like pulling teeth. People want to avoid the pain. This is perhaps a bad analogy to use in the case of Julián Núñez, president of ASECAP - European Association of Operators of Toll Road Infrastructures. Núñez had just sat
    Read More
  • Germany to cut red tape for bridge construction up to 2027
    October 5, 2017
    The German federal government has set aside €4.5 billion for refurbishment of 400 bridges in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia up to 2027. Hendrik Wüst, North Rhine-Westphalia transport minister, made the announcement which included around €200 million for road maintenance. The Federal German government also plans to fast-track planning for infrastructure projects. Bonuses to contractors for improved performance to reduce down-time on construction sites as well as the possibily of a six-day working
    Read More
  • ACE/AECOM report: private sector and user-pay for English roads
    May 14, 2018
    It’s one minute to midnight for funding England’s roads, according to a timely new report, and the clock’s big hand is pointing to some form of user-pay solution, reports David Arminas Is there any way out of future user-pay funding for England’s highway infrastructure? The answer is a resounding ‘no’, according to the recently published report: Funding Roads for the Future. The brief 25-page document by the London-based Association for Consultancy and Engineering, ACE**, sums up the state of England’s ro
    Read More

Highlighted Content