Editorial photo #13085505 Crime, Law and Justice
Toulouse Appeals Court Holds Final Hearings On Legality Of Planned A69 Highway
Juli Rover, one of the main lawyers for the A69 opponents, speaks to them after the hearings. A final hearing on the legality of the environmental authorizations for the planned highway A69 between Toulouse and Castres takes place in the Administrative Court of Appeal of Toulouse. Plaintiffs against the A69 ask the court to nullify all environmental authorizations given for the A69 project. Opponents gather in front of the Administrative Court of Appeal during the hearings. They argue that this highway is not legally sound, that NGE/Atosca (the builders) do not respect even their own documents regarding ecological compensations, and that there are violations against opponents and non-compliance with regulations. NGE/Atosca and the Minister of Ecology plead that this highway is 'necessary by nature' and that the first decision of the Administrative Court to scrap the authorizations is an 'anomaly'. The verdict will be given on December 30, 2025. The main association, 'La Voie est Libre' (meaning 'The Way is Free'), wants the construction of the highway to be stopped until all judicial decisions on the matter are given. Opponents of this project say that the reprofiling of the N126 will be sufficient for the 6,000 vehicles planned per day and would cost far less money. The A69 highway will cost EUR512 million (in 2018 euros without inflation) for 54 kilometers. In Toulouse, France, on December 11, 2025. (Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto)
