We had to accompany the first couple of wings up river to the docks for onward transport via boat to the continent, because kids were throwing stones from the river bank and causing superficial damage to the wing surfaces!!!
Airbus have built a bloody ginormous hangar, then bought up all the land between them and the river. They re routed the main road, widened it, bought farmland either side of the route. Brought in a huge caterpiller track device to convey the wing to the barge. They then sail it up river approx 5 miles to a small port where the wing gets lifted onto another barge. This then sails to a coastal port nearest to Tolouse where it is driven on a trailer to the factory. Finally it is glued onto the rest of the plane!!!
This happens every month.
Expensive business