Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean, is home to one of the world’s most expensive roads: a 12.4 kilometer (7.7 mile)-long coastal route that cost a whopping €2.5 billion ($2.73 billion) to build. The new road, called the Nouvelle Route du Littoral (NRL), links the island’s capital of Saint-Denis with the town of La Possession, both located on the north of the island. It is expected to ease traffic on the old and dangerous road that runs along the coast, which has been plagued by landslides and floods.
The NRL is a remarkable engineering feat, alternating suspended viaducts with breakwaters built on the seabed itself. The viaducts are positioned 70 meters (230 feet) offshore and 20-30 meters (66-98 feet) above the ocean.
The NRL was opened to one-way traffic in 2022, and it has now just opened to traffic in both directions. However, the project is not yet complete, as it still needs another 500 million euros ($547.5 million) to finish the remaining 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles) of the road. The construction has faced several technical difficulties, as well as delays due to material shortages. The project has also been marred by legal problems, with French authorities finding signs of financial irregularities in the accounts for the project.
This is a groundbreaking amount for this kind of project, but once completed, the Nouvelle Route du Littoral (NRL) is expected to be one of the most spectacular roads in the world. Réunion, located near Madagascar, is a full-fledged European territory, being one of the four overseas departments that constitute France.
Relevant articles:
– The history of the world’s most expensive road
– Route nationale 1 (Réunion) – Wikipedia
– The most expensive road in the world – Reunion Island
– Contractors selected for Reunion Island’s most expensive route