In addition to a vast green space expected by 2030, major infrastructures will also be constructed on Charles-III Island in Monaco. Here’s an overview. Located on the edge of Cap-d’Ail at the western entrance of the Principality, Charles-III Island is the last large land area available for construction inherited by the Monegasque State after the railway was put underground in the 1990s. On these "SNCF abandoned lands," the princely government plans to build a foundation estimated to cost around 800 million euros within the 2024-2025-2026 public facilities triennial plan.
This complex infrastructure, which will radically redesign this entrance to the city-state, is intended to "house logistics functions that do not exist in Monaco or are currently visible to residents and thus impactful," summarizes Céline Caron-Dagioni, Government Counselor-Minister for Equipment, Environment, and Urban Planning. “It is a productive tool for the quality of life. We are trying to anticipate and plan for the Monaco of tomorrow.”
A 4,000 square meter urban distribution center, essentially a parcel storage area, is planned to "receive" delivery trucks coming from the descending Albert II tunnel, preventing them from entering the city center and congesting the main arteries of the country.
A 2,700 square meter waste disposal site will also be created, along with a 1,300 square meter thermal drying zone for sludge and an urban heating/cooling plant. “The Fontvieille district has had such a facility since its creation, but due to its aging, it needs to be renewed. This new equipment must also meet the needs of the urbanization Monaco has experienced, with the Plati and Condamine districts,” she continues.
The clean transport station, designed to accommodate the rapid and underground connection from the Brasca site in Èze, will no longer be located within the foundation (but in the district), making way for a parking lot with a minimum of 600 spaces.
On the landscaped forecourt of this foundation, the construction of three high-rise towers is also planned, including the future sorting and waste recovery center intended to replace the current aging and costly-to-maintain incineration plant.