Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 3 hrs ago
Climate change is cracking roads in France’s Cantal department
In France’s Cantal department, climate-linked damage is cracking roads after a very dry summer and other severe weather.
The damage includes a crack about 50 centimetres wide on a busy road, and drivers say potholes can take years to fix.
Cantal’s clay-rich soil swells when wet and shrinks during hot, dry spells, moving the ground beneath the road.
A landslide has also forced officials to rebuild half a road, at a cost of more than €130,000.
The repairs strain local budgets, so officials say they may have to choose which roads to prioritize.
Road engineers are testing measures such as chemical treatments and metal grids, while one in five national roads is estimated to be in poor condition.
Climate-related damage has cracked roads in France’s Cantal department after an unusually dry summer.
Officials say clay soils shrink in hot, dry weather and expand when wet, putting pressure on road surfaces.
One crack on a busy route spans about 20 metres, and an official estimated its opening at about 50 centimetres.
A landslide has forced repairs to half of a road’s carriageway, costing more than €130,000.
Officials say limited budgets may require strategic choices, while road-resilience measures are being tested in France.
- Who
- Road users and local authorities in Cantal are affected. Department officials describe the damage and repair work.
- What
- Climate-related conditions have caused road cracks and other damage, prompting costly repairs.
- When
- After an unusually dry summer; the article was published on 8 November 2026.
- Where
- Cantal department, France.
- Why
- Dryness and heat cause local clay soils to shrink, while rain makes them swell, which can crack roads.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Cracks appeared and multiplied on roads in Cantal.
Drought and severe weather affected the department.
Work was under way to stabilise the ground and rebuild half of a damaged road’s carriageway.
- Department
- Cantal, France
- Crack length
- About 20 metres
- Crack opening
- About 50 centimetres
- Repair cost
- More than €130,000
- Road repairs
- Half of the carriageway is to be rebuilt
- National road condition
- An estimated one in five national roads is in poor condition
What people are saying
The climate conditions have changed, too. Before, we had distinct seasons, certainly, but rainfall was still fairly balanced. Now, we have periods of drought that really last.
We will make do with the money we have left. So we will adapt; there will be strategic choices to make, and political choices too, about some roads or not.
There is a need to take this phenomenon into account in managing the road network, otherwise we will continue to see our road network deteriorate.