A buried conduit consisting, in transverse cross-section, of a lower component (2) and a covering upper component (1) which bears on the upper part of the side walls (22) of the lower component (2) by means of lengthwise bearing members (3). According to the invention, the upper component (1) forms an arched vault made so as to have sufficient flexibility to distort slightly under the effect of the forces to which it is subjected, and the lower component (2) is made so as to resist, without distortion, the forces transmitted by the ground and by the upper component (1), both components being fixed to each other along the lengthwise bearing members (3) and the latter consisting of socket joints, so as to permit the bearing parts of the distortable upper component to pivot without sliding relative to the undistortable lower component.