A revamped regional transport infrastructure
The staging of the Olympic Games accelerated the extension and upgrading of regional transport links and aided Savoie Mont Blanc’s growth as a leading global winter sports destination.
Improvements were made to the region’s roads. Led by the state, stakeholders came together to fund the construction of a series of motorways and dual carriageways between Albertville and surrounding towns and resorts. As a result, road network capacity was doubled and journey times and congestion cut. The upgrading of the NR90 to Albertville, a hotspot for traffic jams, was particularly welcome.
The local rail network was also upgraded. In addition to the construction of a high-speed (TGV) line serving Bourg St Maurice, railway stations were modernised and seven new coach and bus stations were built to link up with the rail network.
To ensure that air traffic during the Games would be efficient and safe, improvements were also made at the airports and air-transport facilities serving the region. The Courchevel altiport was extended, the runway at Chambéry-Aix-les-Bains was lengthened, a helicopter platform was built at Albertville, and improvements made to navigation aids and radar systems.
These developments allowed the region to market itself better and made it more accessible to tourists, with the new high-speed rail link increasing its appeal to Parisians in particular.
The rapid modernisation of the region’s transport infrastructure had both positive and negative environmental impacts. On the one hand, it reduced accidents and traffic congestion in the region’s cities and towns, improving the standard of living for local residents. On the other hand, local wildlife was affected by road and rail infrastructure projects, which disrupted animal migration routes and habitats. There was also a negative impact on the landscape, which was partially mitigated by the re-turfing of road embankments and the planting of trees and bushes. The increased number of tourists in the region also created additional pollution.
To reduce their environmental impact and ensure their longevity in the face of climate change and coexistence with fragile mountain ecosystems, the resorts of Savoie Mont Blanc have implemented a series of environmental measures in recent years. These include stricter planning rules, lower-impact construction methods, a transition to low-carbon technologies and processes, and biodiversity protection.