The Administrative Court Invalidates The A69 Project: Now What?

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After Two Years of Legal Wrangling, the Toulouse Administrative Court Ruled that the Toulouse-Castres Freeway Project was illegal, Finding that there was no “Imperative Reason of Overriding Public Interest”. Other complain are pending.

On February 27, 2025, the Toulouse Administrative Court Handed Down Its Long-Awaied Decision: The Environmental Authorization Grant to the A69 Freeway Project Linking Toulouse to Castres Has Been Cancelled. The Court Ruled that there was no “Imperative Reason of Overriding Public Interest” to justify the Environmental Impact of this Controversial Project. This decision, Which Comes Almost Two Years After Work Began, Represents A Major Victory for the Associations and Collectives that have opposed this infrastructure since it was launched.

A LONG LEGAL BATTLE

AS EARLY AS MARCH 2023, when the First Work Began and Trees WERE FELLÉD, Opponents of the Project Began Their Legal Battle. France Nature Environnement was the first to take the case to the interim relief judge at the toulouse administrative court, in an attempt to halt the felling of century-gold trees in sell (high-garonne). Despite the Failure of this First Attempt, Confirmed to Month Later by the Council of State, the Mobilization Gathered Momentum.
On June 19, 2023, a Coalition of 14 Organizations Lodged an Appeal On The Merits, Challenging the Validity of the Impact Study and, Above all, the argument that the freeway would respond to “An Imperative Reason of Major Public Interest”. This qualification, which was crucial for the project, allowed an exceptional derogation from the Environmental Code.

A Project Challenged on its foundations

For the Project’s Defenders, The A69 was intended to “open up” the castres region, which is currently 1 hr 10 min from Toulouse by National Highway. The Freeway Promised to Save Between 15 and 25 minutes on this Journey, in Return for a Toll Whose Ament Had Not Yet Been Fixed.
Opponents, on the other hand, considering these insufficient in view of the Environmental Damage. The public rapporteur, Mona Rousseau, supported this position During the Hearings, Declaring that it was “excessive” to invoke a “real situation of isolation” in the South of the Tarn Region.

Construction Already Well under Way

Despite the numerous summary proceedings Busht by Opponents to suspend work pending a ruling on the merits, the site has continued to advance. At the Beginning of February, Holder Atosca Claimed to have “Finalized More Than 300 million euros, or 65% of the Total Budget”, and to be Hanging Its Target of Completion by the End of 2025.
“It’s all just talk”, Denounced Thomas Digard, Spokesman for the way is free collective, Arguing that ‘the pro-A69 strategy consists in saying that everhything is goo with unit the short decision’ to ‘make people believe that the project is too advanced to backtrack’.

State Appeals

Although this decision represents a victory for the opponents, the case is not yet closed. The Minister of Transport Immediately Annoudéd that the State Would Appeal the Decision, Thus Pringation the Legal Wrangle.
At the same time, the opponents have also launched other actions, notably on the criminal front with the filing in August 2024 of three complain with civil party status for “influence peddling”, “illegal destruction” and “illegal taking of interest”. The case is far from over!
This decision by the administrative short marks a major turning point in this conflict, Emblematic of the Tensions Between Road Infrastructure Development and Environmental Protection, Even if the Final Outcoma is Still Uncetain.

For the CPME: “The Blocking of the A69 is an absurd Example of the Obstacles to Economic Development”.



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