At a time of economic crisis, infrastructural projects are being shelved by governments across the planet.
Not so however for French authorities, who are set to sign a cheque for a staggering €1.66 billion to pay for the construction of a 7.8-mile stretch of coastal motorway on the Indian Ocean island of Réunion.
Dubbed the "most expensive road in France,” the price of building the new highway works out at nearly €110,000 per metre.
As the price suggests, this is no ordinary road. There will be three lanes in each direction and it will be built to withstand 90mph hurricane winds and waves of up to ten metres.
Taking seven years to complete, the motorway will link capital Saint-Denis to Réunion’s port and will be built on columns rising out of the ocean.
Island president Didier Robert has described the project as an “absolute necessity,” while local economist Jean-Phillippe Pierre said it will bring the territory “into the 21st century”.
Currently, the existing route at the foot of the island’s cliffs is forced to close up to 40 times a year due to landslides and waves.
