Widening the A28 motorway
The consortium, comprising Aximum and Colas, is widening the A28 motorway to two 3.5-metre lanes in each direction. While Colas is widening the road, Aximum is bringing the various road equipment (road markings, vertical signs, road restraint systems) up to standard.
An example of synergy between our businesses within the same Group, with the support of the Technical Department!
The A28 motorway, which links Abbeville to Tours via Rouen and Le Mans, is used every day by an average of more than 13,000 vehicles. It enables long-distance journeys between the north and south-west of France to bypass the Île-de-France region. This 2x2 lane motorway has seen a significant increase in traffic since it was built in 2000!
Since April 2024, teams from Aximum Tours and Colas Mans have been working on the widening of the A28 motorway, between the Parigné l’Evêque and Ecommoy interchanges (72), on behalf of Vinci-Autoroute - Réseau Cofiroute.
This project, which covers 34 km in both directions of traffic (2 x 17 km), involves extending the motorway platform by 50 centimetres, thus moving to two 3.5 m lanes in each direction. Aximum is recalibrating the hard shoulder to improve road user safety, as well as applying road markings and installing metal and concrete restraining devices, and renovating the vertical road signs.
Mobilising 4 teams at the same time, this work is being carried out without interrupting traffic, with users travelling on switched carriageways, with one lane in each direction, in line with a meticulous schedule...
Moreover, our teams were able to satisfy the customer by offering them our DOR (Rapid Opening Device), to meet a need to install removable guardrails in certain places, for rapid access in complete safety for the operation of hydraulic structures or basins on the DPAC!
The various switching operations required for site progress to be made is carried out by the concession holder, Cofiroute.
A worksite committed to preserving the environment
Ecological engineering studies were carried out on this site (by the customer) to identify the biodiversity at stake in the vicinity.
A number of animal and plant species have been identified, including the Plum Prickly Pear, the Yellow Sparrow, the Asp Viper, the Spotted Newt and the False Alyssum Helianthemum.
Measures to preserve biodiversity have been implemented, including:
- The creation of 3 ponds,
- The planting of 2 areas of shrub thickets,
Adapting the timing of work zones to suit the habitats of key fauna.
The timing, synergy and commitment of the teams have enabled us to meet our deadlines to date. By the end of October, we’ll be halfway through the project, with 17 km completed!
This project once again reflects the hand-in-hand work of two entities within the same Group: Colas and Aximum. A good understanding, the same vision and the same values make life easier for everyone on a worksite!
This new arrangement of the left-hand lane will allow drivers to enjoy greater fluidity while benefiting from enhanced safety, particularly for overtaking vehicles.
