Advertisement

Traffic warning as French families 'bridge' November 11 public holiday

The Local
The Local - [email protected] • 10 Nov, 2021 Updated Wed 10 Nov 2021 11:20 CEST
image alt text
A picture taken on December 23, 2020, in Savigne-l'Eveque, western France, shows a slowdown on the A11 motorway, some ten kilometers north of Le Mans, at the intersection between the A28 and the A81 motorways, as the traffic is dense on the Christmas eve. (Photo by JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER / AFP)

Motorists are warned to expect heavy traffic on France’s motorways and major roads on Wednesday afternoon, with many people expected to take advantage of the Armistice Day public holiday to create a four-day weekend.

Advertisement

France’s roads monitor Bison Futé has raised its traffic alert level to yellow across most of the country on Wednesday, and red for the Ile-de-France, and warned of ‘traffic difficulties greater than those [usually] observed on an ordinary Wednesday’.

It has predicted especially heavy traffic heading away from the capital on the A1, A4, A10, A13 and A6 motorways as well as on the ring road and the A86, and has recommended avoiding travel in the greater Paris area after 2pm.

Thursday is a public holiday in France to mark Armistice Day, and also provides one of the few opportunities in 2021 to faire le pont (do the bridge) by taking an extra day off on Friday to create a four-day weekend.

READ ALSO French expression of the day: Faire le pont

Advertisement

Bison Futé has also warned against travel in or around France’s other major cities between 4pm  and 8pm, when heavy traffic could lead to jams.

It recommends: 

  • Avoiding travel, wherever possible, in Ile-de-France after 2pm;

  • Avoiding routes around France’s major cities between 4pm  and 8pm;

  • Avoiding the A13 between Paris and Rouen, from 4pm to 6pm;

  • Avoiding the A10 between Orléans and Tours, from 4pm to 7pm;

  • Avoiding the A7 between Salon-de-Provence and Marseille, from 4pm to 6pm;

  • Avoiding the A8 between Aix-en-Provence and Brignoles and from Cannes to Italy, from 4pm to 6pm;

  • Avoiding the A9 between Orange and Narbonne, from 4pm to 7pm;

  • Avoiding the A43 between Lyon and Chambéry, from 4pm to 7pm.

Bison Futé also issued advanced warning of traffic issues on Sunday, when many people will be heading back home. 

“Traffic will be very heavy on the A10, A6 and A13 motorways towards Ile-de-France, from early afternoon until late in the evening,” it said, adding that motorists should expect delays around motorway toll areas on Sunday.

More

Comments

The Local 2021/11/10 11:20

Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also