Urban projects

The construction of the Saint Nicolas underground car park is part of the municipality's overall urban project: improving flow and living space in La Rochelle.

First mooted in 2004, the project for an underground car park near the Bassin des Chalutiers got under way in January 2008 and the work is expected to last 24 months. With its capacity of 650 places over 5 underground levels, this car park will be meant mainly for short and medium term parking. It will also be able to take motorbikes and scooters.

An underground car park at the gates of the old town

As part of the conurbation's Urban Traffic Plan, the City of LA ROCHELLE decided in 2004 to construct nearby car parks situated around its historic heart and on its main access arteries. Having drawn up an exhaustive list of possible sites, a preliminary study was carried out in 2005 to look into possible vehicle capacity and orientations, and the area of the Quai de la Georgette was selected to handle flows coming from the South of the urban area. This site will enable traffic to be stopped at the gates of the Old Port, and will make up for loss of surface parking due to the planned re-designation of all the quaysides.

A rigorous design

A competition was organised in 2006 to choose the team for the design and implementation of the project. A consortium made up of SCP Gonfreville Dumet Vaulet (architects), SETTEC (structural engineers), and ITF (traffic flows study bureau), was commissioned to design the project and the construction permit was awarded in October 2007 (cf.  images vue_interieure_web.jpg  et vue_exterieure_voletpaysa.jpg).

Vehicle access is organised by two circular ramps situated at the South East corner of the car park at the intersection of the Avenue de Colmar and the Avenue du 123e RI. Two pedestrian entrances are planned, one to the North toward the city centre and the tourism office, the other to the South towards the Aquarium, the Espace Encan and the Maritime Museum. Both will be equipped with lifts and a staircase, protected by glass shelters.
Each of the 5 underground levels is organised around a central pedestrian aisle which links the two entrances like a spinal column to a large central open space, allowing in natural light. Parking is on both sides of this aisle, with traffic flow directed in a ring around it. (cf. image plan_niveau1.jpg)

Construction work in several phases

Work started in January 2008 with the building of the car park's external walls. The company SPIE FONDATIONS made these 316 metres of poured walls, using over 5,000 m3 of concrete.

In summer 2008, the companies EIFFAGE and LA PYRENNENNE will take the stage for the second phase of work. It involves the civil engineering and earth moving, using a special technique called "half mole" in which the ceiling beams at each level are constructed first before the earth is moved from under them, so that the beams then shore the retaining walls against the pressure of the surrounding earth.

Lastly the work of finishing the interior of the car park will begin in the spring of 2009.