In spite of high tides, strong currents and an unstable seabed, construction
progressed. Temporary protection devices such as booms and steel sheet piling,
which reinforced the ground to keep the site accessible throughout the dam’s
three-year construction, were critical for success.
“During project design, studies took into account all the constraints of location, functionality and access to the site,” Mr. Weizmann says. “So during the
implementation, the project did not change.”
People Problems
Upon successful completion of the dam in 2009, the project team shifted its
focus to creating new tourism infrastructure servicing the Mont. ;is includes
a new pedestrian footbridge replacing the causeway, parking lots and reception
facilities, as well as a new shuttle bus system.
;is construction phase was riddled with stakeholder challenges, rather than
engineering challenges. ;ey included opposition from local shopkeepers and
cyclists, who objected to changes in how the Mont is accessed; criminal proceedings against the local mayor, who was accused of corruption for trying to
locate shuttle bus stops near shops and restaurants he owns; and labor strikes
by abbey sta;, who successfully lobbied for their own dedicated shuttle buses to
the Mont, separate from tourist vehicles.
“;e greatest challenge of the operation is to achieve changes in the uses and
habits of Mont-Saint-Michel,” says Laurent Beauvais, president of the Syndicat
Mixte Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel and chairman of the Regional Council of
Basse-Normandie in Normandy, France. “Indeed, the conditions of access for
those who live and work in the Mont have changed signi;cantly.”
Satisfying critics has required constant communication with local stake-
holders. To arrive at solutions satisfactory to all, the Syndicat Mixte estab-
lished a consultation group of hoteliers, restaurateurs, tourist guides and
cycling and equine associations, among others. The organization “conducts
regular adjustments to finalize the project and make it consistent with the
708: According to
legend, the archangel Michael appears
to the bishop of
Avranches and instructs him to build
a church on Mont-Saint-Michel.
966: The Duke
of Normandy
gifts the Mont to
Benedictine monks;
work on Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey
begins in 1017 and
continues for 500
years.
1337-1453:
During the
Hundred Years
War, the English
assault the Mont
three times. It
is the only territory in western
and northern
France to successfully resist
English attack.
1804: Napoleon
turns the Mont
into a state prison,
which it remains
until 1863.
1879: A
causeway is built
connecting the
mainland to the
Mont, which was
declared a historic
monument five
years earlier. This
obstructs the flow
of tides, causing sedimentary
buildup around the
island.
700 900 1100 1300 1800
During project
design, studies
took into account
all the constraints
of location,
functionality and
access to the site,
so during the
implementation,
the project did
not change.”
—Luc Weizmann
