Overview

• Work on the 53-km Toulouse–Castres motorway resumed mid-June under a temporary court authorization, delaying its opening to the second half of 2026.
• The prefect of Tarn has prohibited all opponent gatherings in 17 communes from July 3 to 7 and barred transport of fuel, chemicals, aerosol paint, used tires and other combustible materials along the route.
• Environmental collectives including Les Soulèvements de la Terre say they will hold the 'Turboteuf' protest on private land from July 4 to 6, expecting several thousand participants despite the ban.
• A parliamentary proposal to retroactively validate the motorway’s environmental authorizations is headed for a final vote in the coming days to resolve permit challenges.
• The dispute highlights growing friction over France’s RIIPM requirement as courts, legislators and activists clash over the project’s ecological impact versus regional development benefits.