One year after activating free-flow tolling on the A13 highway linking Paris to Normandy, toll barriers have vanished. Concessionaire Sanef reports a positive bilan, stating that users have adopted the new system well. The project, costing 120 million euros, marks a success according to the company.
On December 10, 2024, free-flow tolling was activated on the A13, rendering traditional toll barriers obsolete. This highway connects Paris to Caen and Normandy, enabling smoother travel without stops at cabins.
At the former Buchelay toll, located at kilometer 48, only remnants of a recent past remain. Once equipped with twenty cabins over about 150 meters, the area now hosts demolition works. An operations building and traveler restrooms await destruction, while excavators crush the asphalt for reuse on other sites.
The project involves an investment of 120 million euros, with 80 percent allocated to removing the 14 toll barriers along the route. Sanef, which operates 1807 kilometers of highway network in France, describes this transformation as an unequivocal success. According to the concessionaire, users have quickly adapted to the system, which allows continuous vehicle flow without physical interruptions.
This change aims to modernize infrastructure and enhance traffic fluidity, although technical adjustments were needed to ensure the proper operation of the new badge-reading gantries.