•         An exceptionally large and technically complex structure 

•         A technical solution involving onshore prefabrication   

Jean-Luc Marx, Prefect of La Réunion, and Didier Robert, President of the Réunion Region, are today officially launching construction of the new coastal highway to be built by a consortium made up of VINCI Construction subsidiaries VINCI Construction Grands Projets (lead company) and Dodin Campenon Bernard, Bouygues Construction subsidiary Bouygues Travaux Publics and Demathieu Bard. 
 The 5,400 metre offshore viaduct, France's longest, will connect Saint Denis (the administrative capital of La Réunion) with La Grande Chaloupe. This is a major part of the offshore coastal highway, two lanes of which will be dedicated to public and "soft" modes of transport (bus, pedestrian/bicycle) and which will replace the existing coastal road between Saint Denis and La Possession, which is exposed to falling rocks and flooding by swells and tropical storms.    Work on the €715 million viaduct will be completed in 2018. It will be built by means of a technical solution proposed by the consortium in which 95% of the structures will be prefabricated on land and then for the most part installed by sea.