Toulouse-Castres Motorway Infrastructure Project: French Transport Regulatory Authority (ART) joins the debate

Written by Gabrielle Reddé

Published in the LexisNexis journal “Énergie – Environnement – Infrastructures”.

The French Transport Regulatory Authority (ART) issued an opinion dated 4 December 2025 on a draft amendment to the A69 motorway concession (Castres-Verfeil) which aimed primarily at reducing toll fees on two sections of the motorway, at the level of the Soual and Puylaurens ring-roads, in return for an increase in public funding of €41 million (2026 value).

The opinion raises several questions about the legality of the draft amendment. While it could potentially be used in litigation by opponents of the Toulouse-Castres motorway project, it also highlights the limits of the ART’s powers regarding motorway concession amendments. Read more