A knowledgeable official in the Collectivite wrote to me today to say that the closing will begin "around June 10th" and that it's unknown whether the road will be totally closed for the entire time of the works. The goal is to be finished with the project (putting fiber optic, electricity, potable water, and other infrastructure underground) before "the next season."
The residents of Camaruche will have to take their troubles patiently. Since May 17 and for about five months, the section of road that goes up from Lorient to the east of the island will be under construction. Until Monday, May 31, vehicle traffic will be alternated with the installation of traffic lights. However, from Tuesday June 1 at 7 a.m., the road will be completely closed to traffic. A detour will be set up in the direction of Grand-Fond.
It goes without saying that the announcement of the road closure did not fail to generate many reactions, especially on social media. Sometimes ironically with, for example, "The community will give us gasoline!" "Or" I who live in Grand-Cul-de-Sac, I'm going to feast from one end to the other, I think I'm going to have a Zen retreat at home ".
But humor is not always in order ...
"So we close Camaruche by deviating towards Grand-Fond but without having finished the work beforehand ... How is the slogan of the pebble already? The art of being an island under construction? "Same reflection, or almost, of another Internet user:" Seriously, they do not want to finish Grand-Fond before closing Camaruche? " The economic aspect is obviously one of the concerns put forward. "It's not as if gasoline has increased to 1.56 euros (the liter, editor's note) when in Saint-Martin we don't even pay a euro," scolds a woman. Solutions ? “We will have to create a ring road” or “We will have to walk back”. And one internet user summed up the general feeling of the inhabitants of the North-East of the island: "We are not out of the mess! "
For its part, the Collectivity asks to "apologize for the inconvenience caused" and "count on the good citizenship of everyone so that this essential work on this dangerous section of road takes place in the best conditions".