Motorists travelling on the A31 towards Luxembourg have long dreaded stopping at the Entrange rest area, which gained nationwide notoriety for what many described as the dirtiest public toilets in France. One motorist told RTL last year that just seeing them was unbearable, recalling that there were faeces everywhere, describing it as a "horrific" experience.
While unpleasant motorway toilets are hardly unusual, the Entrange facilities acquired an especially fearsome reputation, with excrement spread across floors and walls, blocked urinals, and an overpowering stench that made even the most desperate drivers think twice before entering. On Google Maps, users nicknamed them the "hell toilets", with some reviews dubbing them "the dirtiest on the entire motorway network."
Even frequent cleaning could not solve the problem. Christophe Tejedo, regional operations manager for Grand Est at Direst, the motorway authority, explained to french outlet Ici Lorraine. According to him, the toilets were cleaned twice a day, but users still managed to dirty them faster than they could be cleaned. It is a general problem on the A31’s rest areas, but in this case it was especially bad due to the outdated facilities.
There is, however, good news for drivers: the infamous toilets are about to be demolished. The facilities have already been closed since 3 August, and from Monday, 17 August, the entire Entrange rest area will shut down for five weeks to allow renovation work to take place.
To replace the old toilets, Direst will install new composting dry toilets, similar to those already operating at the Thionville-Portes de France rest area on the opposite side of the A31. These waterless toilets use micro-organisms such as earthworms to break down organic matter. Importantly, the new design aims to deter vandalism and misuse. Tejedo adds that they are made from plastic, much smaller in size, with fewer surfaces to graffiti.
Works are scheduled to continue until 21 September, when the Entrange rest area and its new toilets are due to reopen. Local authorities hope this overhaul will finally put an end to the site’s infamous reputation.
