It's an unprecedented technical feat. The "Monument à la gloire des Combattants de la Haute-Garonne" has left its site, where it has stood for almost 100 years, to move to its temporary location on the Place du 19 août 1944. This project, entrusted by Tisséo Ingénierie, is part of the work on the François Verdier station on the future line C of the Toulouse metro. 

Right in the town centre, in an extremely constrained urban environment, this 900-tonne colossus was rotated through 90 degrees and then moved 30 metres using Sarens self-propelled modules. To do this, the building had first been wrapped in a metal structure weighing over 500 tonnes, and a few days ago underwent a meticulous operation to raise it 1.60 metres off the ground, ten centimetres by ten centimetres.

"This technology was chosen so that the monument could be lifted by its foundations and strengthened without any stress being applied." Thibault Danho, Works Supervisor Bouygues Travaux Publics Régions France

But why move a historic monument of this scale? 

A solution had to be found to preserve this historic monument in Toulouse, located above the site of the future metro station. Moving the monument proved to be the safest solution from a technical point of view, and the only one that would preserve the 50 giant plane trees on the Allées François Verdier, which are part of the city's heritage.

Many people from Toulouse came together to take part in this exceptional event. Throughout the day, the Bouygues Travaux Publics Régions France stand, set up in a village specially designed for the occasion, welcomed the curious, who met our teams and asked all their questions about these operations. 

This success is the result of the mobilisation of all the Bouygues Travaux Publics Régions France and VSL France teams. The synergy between the various departments of the Technical Division and the works teams made it possible to design and implement a unique technical solution to protect the integrity of this historic monument, dear to the people of Toulouse, while it was being moved. 

Once work on line C is completed in 2027, this historic monument will be returned to its original position!