Mont St Michel Restoration Project

7/28/2019 Mont St Michel Restoration Project

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r e s t o r i n g m o n t s t - m i c h e l t o a m a r i n e s e t t i n g

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A N O P E R A T I O N O F N A T I O N W I D E I N T E R E S T

Restoring Mont St-Michel to its marine setting is part of a great ambition: to conduct an in-depth renovation of thelandscape that serves as a jewel-case to one of mankinds major shrines, and renew the path of discovery of the site, inthe spirit of the pilgrims crossing over.

Mont-Saint-Michel stands in a bay with breathtaking scenery and ecosystems. It is a spot of unmatched beauty thatfeatures twice in Unescos list of world heritage sites (1979). This outstanding dimension has earned it its internationalreputation. The feat of architecture and the exceptional harmony with the bay which its founders were looking for aretimeless qualities.

However, in the short term, Mont St-Michel is facing the threat of becoming irremediably landlocked. Around the rock,silting has worsened over the centuries and with successive human interventions polderization, the building of thecauseway, and the dam fitted with floating sluice-gates Colonisation by plant life continues. The natural sands arespoilt by the presence of a parking area.

Europe, the French State and the local and regional authorities have decided to join forces in recovering the spirit of theplace so that this treasure of all mankind should remain a sought-after monument for generations to come.


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THE SPIRIT OF MONT ST-MICHEL BREATHES OVER THE BAY

A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OPERATION

Since 1995, when the French State and the Syndicat

Mixte Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel became involved, and

subsequently the launch of the initial works in 2005,

restoring the Mont to its marine setting has turned out

to be one of Europes most original and remarkable site

restoration operations. The European Union, which is

contributing funding, has highlighted its dimension asa genuine sustainable development project to serve the

area.

The main idea is to restore a marine setting to Mont St-

Michel with tidal water all around on a regular basis, by

using the combined power of the water from the incoming tide and from the River Couesnon. Reclaiming the sands in this

way also means doing away with the 15 hectares of car and coach parks, as well as the causeway linking the rocky island

to the mainland, as they have blocked the tidal currents for over 130 years.

The idea is also to have a completely new approach to the monument for the 3 million sightseers who come to see it, and

often faithfully come again. From the mainland up to the Mont, a new approach road is to be constructed: you arrive at

a parking area with reception and information services, 2.5 km (1.5 mi) from the Mont, and take the footpaths or publictransport shuttle. You will then be able to taste the old spirit of crossing over to Mont St-Michel, taking the time needed to

take in the bay scenery, stopping off at the dam then the pedestrian footbridge offering an unbroken view of Tombelaine

rock, Mont St-Michel and the bay.

These new conditions of access to the rock will play a crucial role in controlling the influx of tourists.

They will help to preserve, now and for future generations, the abbey approaches, a major cultural and spiritual destination,

and the natural landscape of the bay listed as a Unesco world heritage site.

CENTRAL TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE BAY AREA

The project is also central to schemes to boost the bay area economy for the benefit of the populations of both regions.Particular emphasis should be given to the action of Lower Normandy and Brittany Regions with the State and RFF to ensure

a rail link from Paris, and also from Cancale to Granville, with a new local public service, Ligne Baie (Bay Line) laid on each

summer. As a quality alternative to the car, it seeks gradually to coax the public to take a closer look at the bay by encouraging

short stays.

In addition to these concerted efforts, there are other coastal development schemes to take the project further (Operation

Grand Site and then the programme for Integrated management of the coastal areas within the bay), and also productions

responding to visitors expectations in terms of cultural enrichment (Scriptorial at Avranches, celebration of the 13 th centenary

of Mont St-Michel). All these initiatives help to renew the image of the bay and to give wider dissemination to the economic

benefits of Mont St-Michel, a flagship of the local economy.

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magence3D/MGDesign


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A JOB HALF COMPLETED

Restoring Mont St-Michel to its marine setting, an initiative of the

French State and the Syndicat Mixte Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel,

is now in its operational phase, halfway from full completion.

A number of landmark stages are due to be reached:

2009 >The building of the dam across the Couesnon,officially launched by the Prime Minister in June 2006, reaches

completion. This construction, the cornerstone of the water

management aspect of the project, began its task of desiltingthe Mont approaches in May 2009. The public service delegation

for visitor parking and transport was also awarded in the autumn

of 2009.

2010 >This year will mark the start of the reception facilities (landscaped parking area, reception and services buildings) andaccess to Mont St-Michel (pedestrian bridge and causeway) providing a totally new approach to the rock.

A start will also be made to modifications both upstream and downstream of the dam, which are to restore the Couesnons

hydraulic capacity to shift the silt out far beyond the Mont.

2012 >The new parking area on the mainland and the public transport shuttles will be commissioned to carry visitors tothe Mont.

A final stage is to be reached in 2014 with completion of the pedestrian bridge and, still more symbolically in 2015, with thedestruction of the causeway after over a century.

The works contributing to restore Mont St-Michel to a marine setting will by then have been fully completed, but it will be a

few more years before a broad area of sands opens up around the rock and for the Mont to recover its marine setting in all

its fullness.Mont St-Michel will remain open to visitors during the works


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magence3D/MGDesign

Commissioning of the pedestrian bridge

Commissioning on the east arm

Up- and downstream of the dam across the Couesnon

Commissioning of the parking area

Commissioning of the shuttles

WORKSTARTS

TIMELINE FOR THE WORKS

THE DAM ACROSS THE COUESNON

WATER MANAGEMENT WORKS

PARKING AREA

SHUTTLES

THE NEW ACCESS TO THE MONT


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BRINGING THE TIDES BACK TO THE MONT

The silt deposited by the sea on each tide as a short-term threat to Mont St-Michel. This natural phenomenon,

orsened by human interventions, ould eventually have made the Mont a part of the mainland. This is hy the

State and local and regional authorities joined forces in order to bring the tides back to the Mont and restore the

abbey as a great heritage shrine.

The operation to restore the sands will free the Mont from the build-up of silt and the grip of the salt meadows. Through

the combined forces of the sea and the Couesnon, the sediment will be flushed out to sea away from the vicinity of the

Mont, which will stay clear of the salt marshes for a long time to come.

Once the new dam is commissioned, the demolition of the current parking areas and the causeway, which are an obstacle

to the free circulation of sea currents, almost 15 hectares (36 acres) of sands will be restored to nature. Mont St-Michels

environment will completely recover its marine dimension.

The River Couesnon will have the task of shifting the silt that has built

up between the mainland and the rock. Tide after tide, the new dam

will generate progressive releases of water, restricted to the Mont ap-

proaches; Regaining its hydraulic power, the river will be strong enough

to lower the level of the sands, push back the salt marshes and maintainthe marine setting for a long time to come around the Mont and the

ramparts. The intermittent presence of the sea will once more make

the sands and channels an ever-changing sight depending on the tide

and light.

A Panel for hydrosedimentary monitoring, made up of independent international experts,has been advising the Syndicat Mixte Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel since July 2007.

Its task is to monitor the hydraulic and sedimentary evolution of controlled flushing

operations over time, analyze the results obtained and if necessary suggest further measures.


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BACK TO THE SPIRIT OF THE CROSSING

As a masterpiece of the human heritage, Mont St-Michel is today the most popular tourist venue outside of Paris.

Each year, three million visitors come from the orld over to admire it.

Hoever, the reception facilities are no longer in line ith the prestige of the place or ith public expectations.

The project ill enhance the crossing from the mainland to Mont St-Michel, ith a completely ne path to dis-

cover the Mont linking together the different types of scenery you pass through. The ne approach offered to

the public ill be orthy of this major orld heritage site and its symbolic representation.

THE RECEPTION wORKS ON THE MAINLAND: A TRANSITION BEFORE THE CROSSING

On parking their vehicles in the parking area on the mainland 2.5 km (1.5 mi) from the Mont, visitors will find services nearbyand will then access the Mont either on foot or in the transport shuttle. There will be parking for 4,200 cars and coaches.

Standing back away from the Mont, the car park will fade into the background for the benefit of the site.

THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE: A JETTY OUT TO THE MONT

Visitors will set out on a causeway offset to the east. This will turn into a

pedestrian bridge over the final 750 metres, bending off westwards and

stopping 120 metres short of the ramparts. Walkers will find themselves in

a safe, peaceful atmosphere on a footpath protected from the lane taken by

the shuttles and the traffic from the odd authorized vehicle.

THE FINAL STAGE: A SUBMERSIBLE FORD

A slipway gently sloping down will take visitors from the pedestrian bridge onto an earth platform surmounted by a submersible

ford. This will take them across the final 120 metres from the pedestrian bridge to the Porte de lAvance (the main entrance

to the Mont). Very occasionally, the ford will come under water on very big spring tides, restoring its full marine dimension

to Mont St-Michel as an island surrounded by water, only accessible when the tide goes out.

Virtual fly past from Moidrey Cove again under water, the dam across the Couesnon, the pedestrian bridge and the Mont.The marine impression is clearly present for this average spring tide (coefficient 105/110).

La gestion de La frquentation touristique

Under the aegis of the Syndicat Mixte, an observatory of the number of visitors to Mont St-Michel was

set up starting in the spring of 2008 in partnership with the University of Western Brittany (Laboratoire

Gomer) in order to:

monitor changing numbers of visitors to the Mont; provide long-term help with management of tourist influxes to the site;

create a forecasting tool as a decision-making aid.


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Mont St-Michel

Dam

To

Pont

orson

ToAvranches

Parking area

Causeway

Pedestrian bridge

Earth platform and ford

Guiding and dividing dyke

Groynes

Groynes

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> Hydraulic works: M76.82- Dam: M34.60- Upstream hydraulics: M26.00- Downstream hydraulics: M16.22

> Reception works- Public spaces and buildings(excl. Public Service Delegation) : M8.34- Public Service Delegation(shuttles and parking area): M12.3

State and Syndicat Mixte

> Access works: M38.94- Pedestrian bridge: M36.14- Work on Historical Monuments: M2.80

> Owner expenses: M24.65

> Provisions: M15.25

Cost of the works: M176.3

Syndicat Mixte Baiedu Mont-Saint-Michel

2, rue du Prieur - BP 2950170 Ardevon

Operation superintendentMission Mont Saint-MichelDirection Dpartementaledes Territoires et de la Mer

de la Manche

Project owner

A JOINT OPERATIONRestoring Mont-Saint-Michel to a

marine setting represents 176.3

mi l l ion euros in d irect publ ic

investment.

3.80 million

Lower NormandyRegion

33.57 million

BrittanyRegion

14.75 million

Syndicat Mixte through its localauthority members:

63.92 million

EuropeFeder Fund

21.15million

tat

81.43million

Manchedepartment11.20 million

Ille-et-Vilainedepartment4.40 million

Internal financing: 6 million

Seine-Normandiewater board

Loire-Bretagnewater board

Schma global des amnagements

Hydraulic modificationsin the bay

Barrage / Dam

Ansede Moidrey

Overall diagram of the modifications

Amnagements hydrauliques lamont du barrageHydraulic modifications

Access works in the bay

OuVRAgES dACCuEIL

Reception works

AMNAgEMENTS HydRAuLIquESdANS LA BAIE

OuVRAgES dACCSdANS LA BAIE

Le gu / The ford

Curage du CouesnonDredging of the Couesnon

Remise en eaude lanse de Moidrey

Bringing the water backinto Moidrey Grove

NavettesShuttles


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T E c h n I c a l d a T a

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ThomasJouanneau

BRL Ingnierie / Luc Weizmann Architect / SPRETEC / ANTEA

THE DAM ACROSS THE COUESNON

The cornerstone of the project, the new dam across the Couesnon will

gradually restore the River Couesnon to full power and enable the public

to enjoy a unique view of Mont St-Michel from the mainland. Each of

its components makes formal reference to the marine character of the

place, both in the outline of the details of the infrastructures and in

the organization of the spaces dedicated to receiving the public. Thus,

occupying a horizontal line and blending into the countryside, it suggests

the marine atmosphere of the bay. The play of sluice-gates opening

and closing, the changing water levels, change how we see the dam,

from full-length opaqueness to great transparency when the sluices are

completely open.

OVER THE wATER: LOOKING OUT OVER THE BAY AND THE MONT

The dam gives a good view over the water of the wider landscape of the Bay and Mont St-Michel itself.

The promenade-bridge over the dam was designed as somewhere to walk around

between the two banks of the Couesnon. Here ramblers and hikers wishing to walk

along the coastal path to discover the Archangels rock amid the sands can get a

marvellous view. For those wishing to stay a little longer and take in all the variety of

light effects and the natural atmospheres of Mont St-Michel Bay, there is a marine

balcony, a space laid out like an amphitheatre over the water, away from the noise

and bustle, where you are free to spend some time enjoying the vastness and beautyof the landscape.

On the east bank of the Couesnon, an esplanade open to visitors forms a passing place between the Caserne site and the

Mont access shuttles. Lastly, these different public spaces give a direct view of the movement of the dam sluices and the play

of water rushing through.

THE DAM AS wATER REGULATOR

Through the combined forces of the sea, the Couesnon and

the new dam, the silt will be flushed out to sea beyond Mont

St-Michel.

After commissioning the dam and gradual flushing operations,it will take several years, tide after tide, to clear the millions of

cubic metres of silt that have built up and slowly lower the level

of the sands. By the year 2025, the Couesnon will have carved

out a broad estuary straight back out into the English Channel. The intermittent presence of water on the bare sands will

make the scene look different depending on the light. Mont St-Michel will have regained its lost marine setting and will

stay that way for a long time to come.

This dams original feature is the way it operates, as the sluice-gates can work in both directions, when the water flows

downstream and when it flows upstream, depending on the tide and the rivers flow rate. Eight floodgates, each operated

by two hydraulic cylinders, rotate to fill the upstream section over the top on the incoming tide, and to drain it off via the

underside as it goes out, thereby amplifying the natural flow in the West arm and the East arm.

An independent international scientific committee has been set up to monitor the hydrosedimentary effects of these flushing

operations and verify the results obtained.

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THE wATER MANAGEMENT MODIFICATIONSToday, the bed of the Couesnon is no longer doing its job as a natural storage basin for tidal water, and this has reduced the

rivers flushing capability. The silting of the river bed and downstream from the dam is evidence of this loss of hydraulic power.

The river meanders only very little amid the silt and vegetation. The water management modifications will restore the rivers

strength to carry off the silt away from the Mont and maintain a natural environment of marine sands.

Once the river bed has been cleaned up, the Couesnon channel, in conjunction with the water reserve in Moidrey Cove, will

be able to store up to 1,500,000 cubic meters of water. This volume available for flushing will be collected from incoming

tidal waters and the rivers own natural flow.

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UPSTREAM FROM THE DAM CLEANING OF 4.7 km OF THE COUESNON

Between the dam and Moidrey Cove, to get back to the

original bed level (+ 2m IGN 69*), the river will be cleaned

along the channelled section. Estimated volumes to be

dredged: 570,000 m3.

MOIDREY COVE BACK UNDER WATER

A former wetland meadow surrounded by the Couesnon for

a long time used as a site for mining tangue*, this reservoir of

extra water for the Couesnon will have a network of channels

along a length totalling around 11 km. An initial digging phase

was conducted in 2005 with the creation of pools intended for

parsley frogs, a protected amphibian species living in the cove.Estimated volumes to be removed: 700,000 m3.

* IGN 69: benchmark altimeter reading

** Tangue: silvery grey sediment formed from sand and fine shell particles.

industriaL reCYCLing of tHe tangue

The main areas currently being experimented for recycling the sediment removedfrom Moidrey Cove and the Couesnon are as farmland refill and calcareousenrichment of acid soils. In a return to ancestral practices, the addition of tanguewith its limestone content is an effective way of offsetting mineral depletion on

farmland in the polders, and it is also effective against a fungus that is a brassicaparasite in the Saint-Malo area.


Imagence3D/MGDesign

BET Anta / BRL Ingnierie / Cabinet HYL landscape architectsand town planners(P. Hannetel / A. Yver / C. Laforge)

DOwNSTREAM FROM THE DAM

DEMOLITION OF THE OLD SEAFRONT

PARKING AREAS AND THE CAUSEWAY

The tangue*-covered section of the causeway will

be either recycled (to shore up the dykes to the

east) or flushed out (depending on the quality

of the tangue). The rocks protecting the causeway

can be reused.

DISMANTLING OF THE ROCK-FILLED

DYKES ON THE COUESNON (19TH C.)

Part of this rockfill will be reused for modifications

in the bay (guiding and diving dyke from the dam

up to the Mont, groynes to the east, eastern groyne

at the foot of the Mont)

TOP OF CHANNELS

The tangue removed immediately downstream of

the dam, around 200,000 m3, will as a priority be

flushed by the Couesnon out to sea into the bay.


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THE RECEPTION wORKS ON THE MAINLAND

As a stopping point from where the footpaths and

shuttles leave for Mont St-Michel, the parking area

is fully a part of the site visit. Blending unobtrusi-

vely into the surroundings, away from the Mont,

it is set in the scenery next to the polders and ex-

tending the wooded area at La Caserne. Vehicles

coming off the access road are concealed behind

dykes and plenty of planted vegetation.

VIEw OF MONT-SAINT-MICHEL

Upon arriving at the site, sightseers have a view

of the monument and can admire Mont St-Michel

and the bay: the Marais Blanc and the East path.

They are guided away from the cars towards the footpaths, along

which there are signboards to help understand the history of Mont St-

Michel and the bay. There is a choice of three walks: one, the East path,

is set on the edge of the polders, following on from the Marais Blanc;

another passes through the commercial sector of La Caserne, and

the third follows the Couesnon channel until you come to the dam.

In the area around the ooded section of La Caserne, the most

used spots are separated by clumps of shrubbery. A little further on,

in a grassland setting, following on from the nearby polders, there

are grassy lots intended for shorter periods of use (peak and near

peak periods).

The three buildings (reception, services, operation) housed in the

parking area offer local architectural forms (long, narrow buildings

with two-pitched roofs), combining old materials (granite walls) and

other more contemporary materials (glass partitions and timber sun-

screens).

Cabinet HYL, landscape architects and town planners(P. Hannetel / A. Yver / C. Laforge), Paris / Bruno Mader,architect / Design offce, SOGETI / COSIL, lighting.


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THE CROSSING TO THE MONTVisitors from the mainland are invited to make their way to Mont St-Michel, the focal point of their gaze ever since they

entered the parking area. There is a choice of three paths with contrasting surroundings, with information along the way

on Mont St-Michel, the bay and their thousand-year history. They meet up alongside the dam, from where there is a good

view of Mont St-Michel gradually being restored to its marine setting. There are also several means of transport available

for crossing the sands, reaching the rock at the end of an approach that has been completely revamped.

ON FOOT, BY HORSE OR BYSHUTTLE VISITORS CAN CHOOSE.

The overall intention is to make access

available to the greatest number throughappropriate pricing, and with special

attention to mobility impaired users, while

respecting the site and the environment.

There are four ways of accessing Mont

St-Michel from the landscaped parking

area on the mainland*; visitors can walk

to the Mont, or go to the dam (c. 700 m.

away), where free shuttles are available.

These revers ible and clean (Euro V

standard) automobile shuttles, carrying 100

passengers, are specially designed for Mont St-Michel. There are departures

all year round from 8 am to 1am, at rates varying from 3 to 4 minutes waitin summer to a maximum quarter of an hour in deepest winter. The shuttles

drop visitors off some 350 metres short of the ramparts, where they get an

unbroken view of Mont St-Michel.

An original horse-drawn service in a maringote* is also available at the

shuttle departure point dear the dam (from 10am to 8pm or from 11am

to 5pm). As the emblematic animal of Lower Normandy, which is to stage

the World Equestrian Games in 2014, the horse will remain a clean and fun

solution.

For the mobility impaired, and people living or working on the Mont, there

will be reserved parking lots centrally placed in the parking area, with a free

20-seater minibus service to the foot of the ramparts 7/24 all year round.

A fourth possibility is available to visitors coming from Pontorson railway

station. Whether arriving by train or parking at the nearby 250 capacity car

park, they will have a bus service timed for train connections; the single fare

is 2 per person.

*The maringote is the old name for the light horse-drawn carts that took pilgrims and visitors to the bay.

6.50 return / person under 14s 3.25, one free ride for under 14s.

mainland parking area: 4,200 places, including 200 reserved for (motor) cycles,8.50 / car, 55 / private coach, 12.50 / camping-car,

3.50 / motor-cycle,34 one-year subscription, cycles no charge.

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oliaTransport

The Syndicat Mixte delegates all reception service

(parking area, services and shuttles) to Veolia transport.

Total budget: 36 million euros towards which

the Syndicat Mixte and the State contributeM12.30, through an equipment grant with

possible yearly rates compensations.

duration: 3 years of construction and 10 years

of operation. Commissioning: 2012


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THE MONT ST-MICHEL ACCESS wORKSBetween Mont St-Michel and the mainland, it is all going to change. The causeway that has been blocking the water flow

since 1879 is to go. It will be demolished at the end of operations, a symbolic gesture that will mark the completion of

reclamation of the site.

A fine-looking pedestrian bridge will straddle the reclaimed marine spaces, coming to rest on the future Mont St-Michel

earth platform. The new access route from the mainland restores the full meaning of the bay crossing, opening up a fresh

view of the bay, Tombelaine and the Mont. Visitors are invited to go up to the rock in the safety and silence of a complete

experience regained.

A JETTY TO THE MONT

The access works to Mont St-Michel will be in sequence: first, the

new dyke to be set in the salt marshes, then the pedestrian bridge

crossing the East arm of the Couesnon and the marine sands, borne

by a whole succession of thin piers. From a distance, the pedestrian

bridge will seem to fade into the marine background, its thin deck

like a knife blade on the water. Pedestrians will walk on either side

of a central reservation in which the shuttles will move up and down

without disturbing them. The pedestrian areas will be have a timber

surface as found on jetties and other seaside structures.

CROSSING OVER TO THE MONT

The submersible ford takes you across the final 120 metres between

the pedestrian bridge and the entrance to Mont St-Michel. Its height

and design were defined in order to set off the ramparts and create

insularity during the very large spring tides. Up to tidal coefficient 95,

you will enter the Mont as now through the main Porte de lAvance

entrance. Up to coefficient 103, access will be through a small side

gate.

And on a few days each year, the very biggest tides will cover the

ford, totally surrounding the ramparts. The symbolism of Mont St-

Michel, a rocky island topped by its abbey, will then be fully restored.

However even when submerged, the road will remain fordable by

emergency vehicles.

Dietmar Feichtinger Architect / BET Schlaich, Bergermann & Partner.


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Press contactClaire Montmont: Tel. 02 31 29 16 96

Mobile: 06 10 15 04 [email protected]


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atrickDo

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An operation of nationwide interest backed by:

Mont St Michel Restoration Project

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