This New Monaco Est Ramp aimed to relieve traffic congestion
After three years of work, the new “Monaco Est” exit slip road from the A8 motorway in the Nice-Italy direction officially came into service on Wednesday 10 January at 6 am.
Every day, around 50,000 people travel to Monaco and the surrounding municipalities. The aim of this new junction (junction 58) is to provide an additional access route to the Principality of Monaco and the towns to the east of the city.
The new route is expected to relieve traffic congestion through La Turbie, on the A500 and the Monaco tunnel. It will also relieve congestion along the A8, which has heavy traffic all year round and is especially congested in July and August. An estimated 3,000 cars will be using the new access route.
The new ramp was officially inaugurated by Monegasque and French officials on 9 January. Minister of State, Pierre Dartout and the President of the National Council, Brigitte Boccone-Pagès inaugurated the long-awaited route with the Mayor of La Turbie, the Mayor of Menton and the President of the Alpes-Maritimes Department, along with other officials.
€6.06 million project
The new route cost 6.06 million euros excluding taxes, one third of which was co-financed by Monaco (€2.14 million). Vinci Autoroutes Réseau Escota contributed €2.48 million euros, the Alpes-Maritimes department contributed €1.23 million and the French Riviera Community contributed €200,000. Motorists will have to pay three euros to take the exit.
President of the National Council looks ahead towards future transport possibilities
During the inauguration, Brigitte Boccone-Pagès stated that the commissioning of the ramp is a further step towards better mobility between Monaco and the Alpes-Maritimes. She went on to say that future steps should be taken, in particular with the launch of work on the Cap d’Ail hopper, a roundabout at the bottom of Mont des Mules, the establishment of a maritime shuttle and an express metro between Nice and Monaco.
