Manitowoc cranes help build one of the world's most expensive roads in La Réunion

Manitowoc, Grove, and Potain cranes, are working together to help build a €1.7 billion coastal road around France's Reunion Island, located in the Indian Ocean. A team of 16 cranes are at the island, which is situated to the east of Madagascar. A 5.4 km viaduct will be constructed on columns rising out from the Indian Ocean. It will be built to withstand 90mph (144km/h) hurricane winds and waves of up to ten meters high. The new 12.3 km highway will have three lanes in each direction and will be the most expensive road ever built by the French government.


Two Potain MD 485B M20s, two MDT 368 As, one MD 560 B, a Potain K5-50C, a Manitowoc 12000E-1 crawler crane, seven Grove all-terrain cranes, and two Grove rough-terrain cranes, are working on the island. Installation of the Potain cranes was completed in September last year, including setting up and erecting the jibs. The 16 cranes were supplied by contractors, Vinci Construction Grands Projets and Bouygues TP, who own some of the units and Grues Levages Investissements (GLI), who provided cranes for this high-profile project on rental contracts. GLI is Manitowoc's official dealer for the Reunion Island, Mayotte, and Mauritius and has invested heavily in supplying top-quality cranes for this project.


The colossal project faces many challenges as the structure is being built on a maritime site, explains Christophe Simoncelli, of Manitowoc. "Manitowoc has provided exceptional crane solutions as well as a proactive approach to managing this project," he said. "Potain was selected because it is the world's leading tower crane brand with a long track record of success. The compact Grove cranes were chosen for their excellent on-site flexibility while the Manitowoc 12000E-1 crawler crane provides outstanding maneuverability as it can be extended and retracted as well as its ease of use and low maintenance requirements. In addition, GLI has provided the highest quality cranes coupled with outstanding service and has been a key factor to the success of this project."

The Potain MD 485B M20 is a 20 t capacity top-slewing tower crane, with an 80 m jib. It has been fitted with a 60 m boom and is working at a height of 45 m. The MDT 368 A is the largest of the topless MDT range with a maximum jib length of 75 m while the MD 560 B is a 25 t capacity tower crane and can lift up to 5.4 t at jib end. The Potain K5-50C is a 20t capacity tower crane with a 60 m jib length. The Manitowoc 12000E-1 is a 110 t capacity crawler crane and is fitted with a 70 m boom. The Grove all-terrain cranes on the project include a GMK2035, a GMK3060, a GMK4080-1, a GMK 5130-2, a GMK4100L, a GMK3055 and a GMK5220 – these cranes range in lifting capacity from 35 t to 220 t. The two rough-terrain cranes on the jobsite are an RT540E and an RT760E. The RT540E comes equipped with a 31 m four-section full power boom while the RT760E offers a 55 t maximum capacity.

The coastal highway was designed to replace the existing road built at the foot of a cliff that links the commercial port of Pointe des Galets to the capital Saint-Denis and the Roland Garros international airport. Currently, the road is forced to close up to 40 times a year due to landslides and waves.

The cranes will remain on the project for two years. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2018.