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Villagers in south-west France face months-long wait for road to reopen after cliff collapse

The 1,186 residents of a village in Dordogne will have a wait of almost a year for a main route out of their town to be reopened following a rock fall.

Published: 3 May 2024 12:26 CEST

Villagers in south-west France face months-long wait for road to reopen after cliff collapse

The road will be closed until at least the end of the year. Illustration photo by Lou BENOIST / AFP

Three months after a 60m section of the cliff plunged onto the RD76 on the outskirts of Excideuil, in north-east Dordogne, it remains still impassable, and experts have said that it will take an estimated six months to clear the road, repair it and make it and the remaining cliff wall safe again, to the frustration of locals.

Work is set to start in June. In the meantime, residents have to use smaller, less direct, country roads to get about in their daily lives. Locals estimate that the diversion adds about 5km to every journey.

Depuis le 2 février, un quartier et ses habitants sont bloqués à #Excideuil, suite à l'effondrement d'une falaise. Les rochers sont toujours là. Et rien ne bouge. Les riverains s'impatientent. Nous faisons le point. #sinistre #Dordogne pic.twitter.com/aEtjvLeJJy

— France 3 Périgords (@F3Perigords) April 30, 2024

Officials have said that the length of time needed for the work is linked to the complexity of the work involved.

As well as clearing several dozens of tonnes of rock off the road, the cliff will have to be secured for safety reasons, amid concerns that further sections could collapse in the next few years.

Experts said that around 2,500m³ of rock will have to be cleared.

The local authority expects a bill of several hundred thousand euros to secure the rock front, evacuate debris and re-establish the roadway – to which must be added the replacement of the waste water network and the repair of the drinking water network.

Officials hope that the RD 76 will reopen to traffic at the end of 2024.

The rock fall comes after an exceptionally wet and rainy winter in parts of France, with widespread flooding.

Meanwhile, local businesses are suffering the consequences of the main road being impassable. A butcher in the village told BFM TV that sales have fallen 30 percent since the rock fall.

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Why washing your car in France can lead to a €450 fine

For many car owners, warm weather means time to finally give the vehicle a good wash.

But motorists in France should know that washing your car, motorcycle or other vehicle at home can actually be against the law in France – with some regulation even covering activities in your own driveway or garden.

Failing to respect the rules can lead to hefty fines.

What does the law say?

There are two levels of regulation that affect car-washing – the Environmental Code and local regulations, but both of them are concerned about the same thing; the environmental impact of the runoff from your car washing.

During summer you also need to check if there are any drought restrictions in place, as some of these also ban any type of car-washing.

In 1979, Paris became one of the first cities in France to pass legislation restricting where you can wash your car. The original Paris law states “Car washing is prohibited on the public highway, riverbanks, harbours and quays, as well as in public parks and gardens”.

READ MORE: ‘Drive like a woman’: France targets male drivers in new road safety campaign

Since then, most départements across France have adopted similar decrees, which cover car-washing on public land – roads, pavements, parks or similar.

In order to find the rules in your area, contact your local préfecture (or ask the mayor), but most areas now have a ban on car-washing on the public highway, with a penalty of a third-class fine of €450.

However there is also the Environmental Code, which operates on a national level, and that can cover even your own private property such as a driveway, garage or garden.

The Code states that “direct or indirect discharge of harmful substances into surface or groundwater is prohibited”.

This can affect wastewater from washing a vehicle as certain chemicals in car wash detergents, as well as any runoff motor oil, can have negative effects on local flora and fauna. Runoff can happen from both public and private land, which is why the Environmental Code has a wider scope.

Violating the rules on discharging harmful substances into water carries a maximum penalty of a two-year prison sentence or a fine of €75,000. Judges can also order defendants to carry out restoration of the environment that they contaminated.

The penalties are even harsher if you live in a coastal area where the runoff would go directly into the sea or ocean, or if you live next to a conservation zone. In this case, fines can go up to €100,000.

We should point out that these maximum penalties are more likely to be applied to companies which have been found to be polluting the local watercourse, rather than motorists washing their car, but the fines do have a large range.

So where can I wash my car?

First, you can go to a car wash (une station de lavage). Not only do car wash stations use less water than you would washing the vehicle at home (50 to 60 litres per vehicle instead of 200-300 litres at home), they also treat the wastewater.

As a result, car washes do not risk polluting the waterways.

They are very common in France and include automatic car-washes, staffed car-washes where someone else does the hard work or the more common self-service type (usually coin operated) where you wash the car yourself use their pressure hoses and soap. These are often found in supermarket car-parks or at out-of-town shopping centre car parks.

Second, you can look for a designated car washing area. These would allow you to wash your own vehicle manually. They have special steps in place to treat the runoff water in compliance with environmental regulations. You can ask your mairie where these are located.

And finally, an alternative is to clean your car without using any water at all. To do this, you can purchase special wipes. There are also special dry-cleaning options, including sprays that you put onto your car, leave for a few seconds so that the dirt is absorbed, and then wipe off using a microfibre cloth.

Drought

During periods of drought, local authorities have the power to restrict non-essential water usage, including things like watering your garden or filling your swimming pool.

These regulations apply to any type of car-washing – on public or private space, or at a car-wash – and take precedence over any other local rules.

You can check to see if your area is under water restrictions by going to the French government website vigieau.gouv.fr and typing in your home or rental address. The website will inform you of what (if any) restrictions are in place, the penalties of failing to respect them, as well as offering government advice for how to decrease your water usage.

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