Traffic issues from Calais to Le Mans

[chum racing]

Here is the latest on potential hold ups from Calais to Le Mans:

Near Le Touquet there are tunnel repairs with a contra flow in place for about 2/3 km
At KM 201 on the E402 there is a 10km contra flow in place for resurfacing

Now the big one, Rouen
There is a diversion in place that will add a fair chunk to your journey. It takes you off the E402 about 30km before Rouen and heads towards Le Havre (sign posted as obligitory due to the Rouen Armada this week).

Here is a link to google maps of the diversion: http://goo.gl/maps/4PcJz

However, I decided to ignore the signs to see how far i could get. I carried on towards the tunnel as usual and there was an eerie lack of traffic on the approach. Through the tunnel as usual, then not long after you come out the other side the challenge begins.

The next tunnel towards the stricken bridge is closed and you are diverted to the right through a secondary tunnel. Then at the first set of traffic lights I turned right towards the city centre. This takes you along the edge of the river for about 2 or 3km. If your car is less than 1.9m you can take a subway and avoid a number of traffic lights and three bridges. When you come out of the subway. Take the inside lane and then look for the sign to Le Mans.

Effectively you need to go under the bridge that you are about to cross the river on and then do a loop through some side streets. Once successfully across the river, just follow the signs for Le Mans. You pick up the Voie Rapid Sud (old N138) and join the motorway at junction 23.


Here is a link to the route for those that may be interested: http://goo.gl/maps/CuxM4

At then end of the day, there is only about five minutes in it between the two routes. However, with thousands of Brits heading through the centre of Rouen, it could get a little busy.

[Vette_1978]

Thats really useful, thanks!!! We're stopping in a hotel right on the route you took by the river so it's good to see we can still get there. I had hoped it would be a bit quieter due to the diversion so looks like we might be ok.

[blackcossiestu]

On the bright side, Lemans convoy traffic is the coolest traffic in the world

[Garlick]

Nice work Brian

[Eugene7]

I'd suggest something like this...

Autoroutes to Le Havre, then smaller roads to Le Mans.

[eastsider]

Could you post a link to the google map of that Eugene? ta

[Steve Maund]

If you just want to miss the trouble in Rouen you did not need to go that far west.

Turn of the A29 at Yvetot.

Steve

[Eugene7]

The reason for going that far west is to abuse the Autoroutes to get south of the river.



However, we go back on a route that is 'west'.
(But we do Le Havre - Portsmouth).

For a west route look at:



These are not on Google Maps, but on Tyre.

[leem5]

Great thanks for that, see anyone who's travelling on the Thursday somewhere on that route. I'll be the lost looking one in RR!