Club Arnage

Although it's a few months away yet, just a reminder to those planning to travel via Rouen that there will be serious diversions in place.  One of the main bridges is out of action as they are having to completely remove and rebuild one of the spans - taking an estimated 55 weeks.

See this for the reasons why:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6zgZKKDg7s
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmioULp_KZo

Del

Seems like Greaves Motorsport is reading here too  ;D.
Just found this on their fb


OT : this will probably mean travelling by Paris for those coming from up North.  Can't say I'm looking forward to that ... test day last year cost me more than 3 hours on the A86.

Anything but Paris!

Thanks for the advice, will seek an alternative  in June.

Also on Pistonheads:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=25&t=1255851&mid=83078&nmt=Rouen+Problems

Well done DelBoy

Good spot!   

MG Mark

There is a route that avoids Rouen, via Yvetot and crossing the river at the Pont de Brotonne.

Aye, and another south of Rouen at Vernon - both hopefully far enough away from Rouen!

MG Mark

We got caught up in this heading to Blighty at Christmas (although we did not know what the reason was at the time) - there is a huge diversion in place that sent us >40kms in the wrong direction and down a toll motorway too, however, there are a couple of decent, not too time consuming detours now. The easiest is this one: http://goo.gl/maps/GGWzN, followed by this: http://goo.gl/maps/CXCT5 and finally, for those braver than us, there is also a fairly straight rought route through the middle of the town - bonne chance avec ca! http://goo.gl/maps/ZMtU3

Greaves Motorsport does read here, have to keep an eye on what the good folks of CA are up to  ;D

Also this is the source of the finest guide to the world's greatest race. :angel:

Have you seen the thread about blagging?

Can I have a bottle of your finest (or cheapest) please ;D

Unfortunately the stake in Bruichladdich was sold to Remy Cointreau last year, now we have an precision engineering company instead.............

http://www.greaves3dengineering.com/

So perhaps I can interest you in a widget............. :)

So we avoid Rouen, I'm looking at docking into Le Havre, what is the journey from Le Havre like and more importantly getting back on Sunday?

No problem at all just head south from Le Havre and straight through Rouen - oh, hang on a minute...

the diversion route from the A28 is as easy as crossing Mathilde, if not easier, no traffic lights just dual carriageway and straight out onto the A13 if rejoining the A28 south.
only downside is an extra toll for 1 jct on the A29/A151/A150 route or as said above and continue a bit further to Yvetot/Pont Brotonne crossing, nice cross country route for a change with the option of non-toll route to pick up the 'old' N138.

From Le Havre i've always done non toll roads*, crossing at Tancarville and doing Pont Audemer / Orbec and down

* edited, original looked a bit mis-leading Toll-wise :-[

There's a damn great big bridge (Pont de Normandie €5.30) over the Seine near Le Havre which puts you straight on the Caen/Rouen motorway, and you turn off before you get to Rouen.  I usually use Pont de Tancarville for which there is a small charge (€2.50), and cut across country to the N138 /A28 at Bernay using the satnav, as it puts you on good roads you can't find on the map

Just wondering if there were any updates on this? Can we still expect the road to be closed does anyone know? Apologies if this already been covered and thanks in advance. Monkey

Still closed.

IIRC it's not due to re open until October.

Repair work will only start in autumn this year, with reopening scheduled for summer 2014. So it may be ready for next year's race.
To be honest, with all HGVs diverted, there are only delays in the usual rush hours.
But avoid the place at all costs on Friday after 3.00 pm!

very useful thanks - I need to discuss with my Navigator

Thanks for the info Kpy, very useful.
Shame we didn't bump into you at Spa, hope to see you at La Sarthe.

It'll be fine, Peaky.

Barry has a route in mind and I'll have a detailed look at using alternative bridges/routes.

On my first version of TomTom which ran on my pocket pc about 10 years ago, it always took  me along the river and crossed via one of the bridges further down as per attached map.

I'll probably pass through Rouen on route to the testweekend, will give updates then. 

Stu's route is the one you'll be directed to if you follow the A28 to Rouen. It's fine just as long as you don't try it in rush hour - particularly Friday afternoon after 4.00pm.
Otherwise follow the A29 towards Yvetot and then south to the Pont de Brotonne - and link up with the A28 south of Rouen.

Bump!!!

Just a reminder to those travelling via Rouen - the bridge is still closed, so use the diversion(s) shown.

Del

Interestingly a French traffic app that I have on my iPhone and Apple Maps both show the bridge as being open northbound only.

Landman

I'll give you an update tomorrow ...

Oh dear.
Rouen Armada starts tomorrow.
Pont Mathilde is closed in both directions BTW and will stay closed well into next year.

Crap  >:( !
Will have to find another way round Rouen then, don't feel like heading to Paris.

We had friends from the UK over to visit last week and they used this route through Rouen, reported that all was fine and 'it seemed quicker than the usual route through", so fingers crossed for all of you going this way in a few weeks.

Some advice here: http://visitnormandy.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/diversions-around-rouen/ (http://visitnormandy.wordpress.com/2012/11/09/diversions-around-rouen/)

I got through and round Rouen on Thursday evening pretty easy.  
Had a little detour of 20 km before connecting on the A13 direction Le Mans and crossing the Seine at Tourville-la-riviere.

On google maps, it looks like this : http://goo.gl/maps/l3vLf

On the A28, drive into Rouen up to the E402/N28 where it's closed to cross the bridge (point B).  
Take the exit right of the tunnel, at the crosslights go immediately left, 500 meter further, take the exit right onto the D6015.
Always go straight ahead : D6015 > D7 > A13 (you'll see directions to Belbeuf > Tourville-la-rivière > A13)
At Tourville-la-rivière get on to the A13 direction Le Mans.

Detour of 20 minutes, so not too long.  This was round 21h on Thursday night with no too much traffic.  Don't know how it will be in rush hour, but this could be a route that's not too crowded, only the last part driving into Rouen might be packed with traffic then.

Looks very similar to one a route I was thinking of. Will be travelling through late Wednesday morning, so hopefully will be reasonably clear then