During the night of 14 to 15 July 2021, Luxembourg was hit by terrible weather. There was flooding throughout the country and a number of roads were washed away. One of them was the CR319 between Winseler and Wiltz, which partially collapsed on the right-hand side for a distance of around 200 metres.
Over the following two years the situation has not really changed much apart from the fact that a safety barrier and a set of traffic lights have been installed.
The hill/run-off next to the carriageway needs to be made secure once again. When questioned about the location, the Bridges and Roads Authority indicated that the project is underway and that, ideally, work should start at the end of 2023. The only thing still missing is authorisation from the Ministry for the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development.
As work will have to be carried out in a ‘Natura 2000' area, stricter restrictions apply than in other zones.
In addition, several pipes, including one for gas, run through this area. While plans are to relocate the pipe, the road itself will remain unchanged.
To date, the cost of repairing the road has been estimated at €750,000. But, this figure is only provisional and might still rise. The Bridges and Roads Authority is not yet prepared to say how long the work will take.
Some sections of the road are expected to be completely closed to traffic for the duration of the works.
According to Winseler Mayor Camille Schroeder, cooperation with the Authority is working well. He explained that the municipality has ensured that the owners of the land bordering the slope agreed to the work being carried out. He was surprised, however, that there were so many constraints on repairing an existing road that had been damaged by a natural disaster.
