Opposition is strong in France to the construction of two new motorway links, the A69 and A154-A120. The A69 is intended to link Toulouse and Castres in Southern France while the A154-A120 project will link Orléans and Rouen in Northern France.
The 62km route for the A69 is intended to provide two lanes in either direction between the A68 near Toulouse and the Castres Ring Road, with part of the tolled motorway already in use and being managed by Vinci Autoroutes. The plan for the A69 is that it will provide an alternative route to the existing N126, which is congested, cutting journey times and increasing safety for drivers. Work on the project was underway in 2023 but faced growing environmental opposition, as well as objections over the fact that the route will include stretches of existing road, currently free for use, that will be tolled. The project was stalled in early 2025 due to a complex legal battle in the French courts. The environmental permits for the work were removed and then reinstated in late 2025.
Meanwhile, there are objections over the proposed A154-A120 motorway project linking Orléans and Chartres. The project will include upgrading 28km of existing stretches of N154 and building 69km of new road. The work will provide two lanes in either direction between Orléans and Chartres. However, environmental objections to the project focus on the loss of agricultural land as well as an area of forest.
VINCI has been holding discussions with the French Government over the project. VINCI Construction would build the link and VINCI Autoroutes would manage the concession but the agreement is not due to be signed until the third quarter of 2026. One aim of the work is to minimise its environmental impact, with low carbon materials and methods being used during construction.
