As we have previously seen, the president qualified Le Have harbor as the main access of Paris to the
sea. Indeed, one agency Antoine Grumbach & Associes has titles its project “Seine Metropole Paris
Rouen Le Havre”(115).
The agency has thought about a development between Paris and Le Havre harbour in order to increase
the competitiveness regarding the exports and imports costs. In this project, the creation of a high
speed train to connect the two areas and also the creation of different river ports would be the solution
to increase the exchanges between the companies located in Paris and Le Havre as the economic
growth generates by this project will increase the number of companies present in this area.
As the president mentioned, the agency also placed Achères harbour at the centre of the fluvial policy.
Indeed the connexion in Paris Ile-de-France to Le Havre Harbour would be located in Achères,
because of the town location on the Seine and Oise rivers. Achères would become the Parisian logistic
headquarter by stocking all the products coming from or going to Le Havre harbour by train or by
ship, moreover its location would permit to be controlled by La Défense which could become the
logistic decision centre on an European scale(116).
The purpose of the development of High speed line will also be to connect it to the existing European
High speed network in order to help the exports from Le Havre harbour to the rest of the continent.
Because of the development of this line, station as La Défense could become important TGV station,
the line Paris-London could be doubled by having TGVs passing by Amiens and Cergy-Pontoise(117).
According to the estimation of the agency, Le Havre-Paris journey would represent 1 hour thanks to
the TGV.
The road projects aim to propose public transports on the high ways, in order to ensure the network
development in this area. Because of the fluvial projects, the roads will not be the main way use by the
companies to ensure their deliveries, as it is considered as less eco-friendly and more expansive(118).
Indeed A13 highway between Paris and Le Havre could be transformed by creating new delivery
relays: individuals could go to these new centres and pick up products they ordered(119).
The challenge for Paris in this case would be to become the main gate of Europe to the Atlantic Ocean,
in order to compete with the Northern cities of Europe (Rotterdam).
The following map shows the project of connexion between Paris and Le Havre harbour.
(120) Figure 13: Connexion plan between Paris and Le Havre Harbour
According to the agency analysis, this project would lead to different impacts. First, it would
emancipate Paris from the Rhine river, by developing the interdependence with La Seine river, which
would permit the use of a French harbour.
The second point made by proposing this project would be an expansion of Paris toward Le Havre
through Rouen. Indeed it would ensure existing industries, and would permit the development of new
industries in this area. The connexions of these industries with Paris will be done by La Seine, and
these industries will be able also to export easily their productions to foreign countries through Le
Have Harbour(121).
115 Atelier Castro/Denissof/ Casi, Le Grand Pari(s), Consultation internationale sur l’avenir de la métropole
Parisienne, P.P 125
116 Michèle Leloup, Marion Bertone, « Le Grand Paris, les coulisses de la consultation », 2009, P.P38
117Ibid, 2009, P.P38
118 Atelier Castro/Denissof/ Casi, Le Grand Pari(s), Consultation internationale sur l’avenir de la métropole
Parisienne, P.P. 139
119 Michèle Leloup, Marion Bertone, « Le Grand Paris, les coulisses de la consultation », Archibooks, 2009, P.P38
120 Michèle Leloup, Marion Bertone, « Le Grand Paris, les coulisses de la consultation », 2009, P.P129
121 Atelier Castro/Denissof/ Casi, Le Grand Pari(s), Consultation internationale sur l’avenir de la métropole
Parisienne, P.P. 130
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