For those coming and going via Dieppe or certainly using the Pont flaubert bridge, there are extensive road works in place. From the roundabout you get onto a new piece of road and a new right hand lane turn onto the bridge. From Dieppe etc the queues into Rouen for the bridge were very long this afternoon, traffic light further down I would estimate at least 30mins of waiting to get through.
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That’s been going on for ages. Most of the day it doesn’t seem to cause any problems but if you’re anywhere near rush hour then delays of 30-45 minutes seem standard.
The roads keep changing from month to month on that approach. I’ve been impressed that Waze always seems to have the latest info and has given what I’ve regarded as a very sensible route.
If you want to avoid the delays and take the scenic route there’s two options I can suggest:
- Take the river ferry over the Seine at Berville-sur-Seine
- The A29 and the Pont de Normandie!
By the size of the works no doubting its been going for ages, I just thought I would let people know just in case. Waze stopped working again in France. Thats the dashboard screen but my phone is ok. We came through Rouen at 2.45pm and the queue down from Dieppe was long as described so might be worth a short detour and a different bridge.
Thanks for taking the time to post about this. We’re using the tunnel next, and hopefully will have a smooth run.
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Pont Mathilde seems pretty traffic free these days so a trip down from Sangatte shouldn’t see much of a delay.
Local media are reporting that the final South to North connection across the Seine via the Pont Flaubert in Rouen will officially be open from 8.30am on 2 July. They’re wheeling out the Minister of Transport to inaugurate the new crossing. North to South has been open for some time. It has taken 7 years to complete this mammoth project.
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Thanks for the update George, look forward to using the new route very soon.
No doubt a coincidence, but on virtually the same day as the completion of the Pont Flaubert works, the Government announced that it will abandon plans to construct a by-pass of Rouen (known locally as the Eastern by-pass). The Transport Ministry had previously supported this long running project on the grounds that Rouen was the only major metropolis in Europe that didn’t have a by-pass/ring road, relying instead on “fast” roads straight though the centre.The by-pass was controversial to say the least, and would have result in the destruction of part of the nearby forest.
It would be good not to destroy part of the forest. Do you think the new road will be enough?
IIRC it’s tricky terrain as well, with hills and a couple of tributaries of the Seine to cross on the eastern side.
Expensive to build I imagine.
The “Stonehenge bypass” (aka tunnel) project in Wiltshire is another one that’s been on and off for years due to the difficulty and expense of construction, and opposition from the heritage lobby, as the area is chock full of archaeology.
If you want a more picturesque (though not necessarily quicker) way of bypassing Rouen you can come off the N150 before it gets to Rouen and go down the D94 / D351 to the little car ferry at La Bouille, which is quite fun. Then there’s a hairpin climb up the Seine escarpment to get back on to the A13.
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Or indeed the D6015 through Ponte dLarche if you get sea sick
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I totally agree about the forest. Local protestors had also threatened -but obviously didn’t actually implement - a plan to embed thousands of metal studs into the trees specifically earmarked for felling. The idea was to intentionally wreck the chainsaws of forestry contractors. That seems to have concentrated some minds..
Nobody would surely design a city - if you were starting now - with motorways going straight through the centre - you’d presumably by pass it..But Rouen’s geography (as @Corona says) prevented a bypass. I doubt that the new bridge connection will make much difference to the severe congestion elsewhere in Rouen but there is a widespread feeling of having had more than enough development for now, given the protracted and massive roadworks for the past 7 years. The forest lives to fight another day…
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Some fool left a major river in the way… 
Noticed Google haven’t updated their mapping yet, shows the new road but not open according to them
Waze is up to date, showing the route as open. Odd, as my understanding was that most data Iis shared between the two services.
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Is Waze the service that sends data, and your details, to the israeli intelligence services?
I hope that was a joke? Smacks of feverish complotism by a deranged orange American. Yes Waze was developed by Israeli tech people, but then sold to Google. So as American as apple pie now.
No joke from me.
Dont worry though as there isnt an American intelligence agency, its an oxymoron 