# Rouen bypass avoiding low underpasses or Pont de Brotonne?



## FoweyBoy

We have always avoided Rouen, on the advice of fellow motorhomers, and detoured Rouen via the Pont de Brotonne. This adds 32 miles, 54 mins, and 10 Euros according to www.viamichelin.co.uk when heading for Orleans and all points south. We try to avoid tolls where practical.

I have done some searching on here, and there have been some previous posts with routes through Rouen. There have also been many posts warning of low underpasses.

On 12 10 2008 a member (sorry did not note name) said "A few days ago the auto route around Rouen was opened. A friend of ours reckons it has saved him about 40 mins getting through Rouen. It departs the A28/E402 and skirts to the east of Rouen then joins into the A13."

Does this mean that it is now easier to drive round/through Rouen? Does this route avoid the low underpasses? I assume the "Tunnel de la Grand Mare" on this route does not have a low headroom.

The route viaMichelin gives me is:-

From A28/E402
Join N28/E402
Take Tunnel de la Grand Mare
Cross the Seine on Pont Mathilide
Turn left onto D18E
Join A13/E05

TomTom takes me to the Pont Mathilide and then turns RIGHT onto Boulevard De L'Europe ( N28) which crosses the Avenue Jean Rondeaux where a member said the low underpass exists. Then onto N338, then N138 and onto A13.

Can anyone who has been through Rouen in the last year or so with a vehicle at least 3 metres high please advise.

Many thanks

David


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## MikeCo

We have never had a problem driving through Rouen and have done it many times, just ignore the first request from Thomas and then you are okay. After going through the tunnel on the main road after the A28 follow the sign for he A13 towards Paris. This will take you alongside the railway through the industrial area and pass the cows on the roundabout. After a few miles on the A13 turn off onto the N154.

Mike


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## autostratus

I haven't picked through your route to see the local names of the tunnel and bridge but can give you this which we use and I regularly search for and copy for others here.
Hope it's some use.
Please note this route is useful if heading for Chartres and Orleans


Tried and tested 3 times a year for 7 or 8 years:-

This is our route. 
If going South (for Evreux and Dreux) on the A28/N28:

After exitting the tunnel take third slip signed VERNON 
In 200m this will bring you to 2 sets of traffic lights at a dual carriageway, the N15. 
Go through L hand set of traffic lights to cross the N15 and try to get into the far RH lane. 
As the traffic moves stay in the RH lane as you take a slight RH bend in 50M. 
If you are not there already, get into that RH lane as the traffic splits in 200M and you must take the road to your right the N15.

Follow the road through an industrial area until after about about a mile it delivers you onto the bank of the R Seine. 
Follow the road until a roundabout with 2 exits where you turn right. 
Follow that road and you'll see signs for Evreux and Dreux more frequently so you can ignore Vernon. 
Follow the route : with viamichelin http://tinyurl.com/ynhvyb

For reference:
http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopicp-534984.html#534984[/quote]


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## Manchego

I went through there in mid december and the big new bridge was open. I ignored the sat nav and followed the signs over it. Took me a different route to the one i have always been in the past. i expected the new bridge to be a toll but no, free. It looked like it had just opened, you know that new tarmac look. Took all the worry of trying to remember which lane to be in down on the riverside. 3m is no problem, all the trucks were going that way.


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## peedee

autostratus said:


> Tried and tested 3 times a year for 7 or 8 years:-
> 
> This our route.
> If going South (for Evreux and Dreux) on the A28/N28:
> 
> After exitting the tunnel take third slip signed VERNON
> In 200m this will bring you to 2 sets of traffic lights at a dual carriageway, the N15.
> Go through L hand set of traffic lights to cross the N15 and try to get into the far RH lane.
> As the traffic moves stay in the RH lane as you take a slight RH bend in 50M.
> If you are not there already, get into that RH lane as the traffic splits in 200M and you must take the road to your right the N15.




Yup I always use this route through Rouen as well. A large scale map of the above section which was posted earlier is >here< The brown route is the one to follow.

peedee


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## leseduts

Could Manchego tell me where the "big new bridge" is please. 
We go through the tunnel, over the river, 2nd right and then run along the railway, past the concrete cows and onto a bit of the A13 then off to Evereux and Dreux.


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## Manchego

You can't miss it. As you come down the hill before you hit the river bank you will see the huge towers off to your right. Just follow the signs not your sat nav. When i went over they still had temporary barriers directing the traffic but it looks like they are changing everything to direct you over it. I always used to go the round the industrial estates route but the new bridge now makes all those other routes obsolete. I was heading for the N154 so if you are heading that way or to Paris it's now the route to take.


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## waz

When we used to do removals from Spain we used to come through Rouen. One day a artic turned of the motorway in front of us.We thought nothing of it untill after we came out of the tunnel out of the town there was the same artic in front of us. We never did find out the road he used, and yes it was the same one

Waz


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## peedee

The new bridge is well downstream from the Pont Mathilde. See >here< It looks impressive but it would appear to be out of the way for those of us coming down the A28. It would be ok for those coming from Dieppe.

peedee


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## AndrewandShirley

We always bypass the city and our Sat Nav took us the same route as autostratus in the post above and easy to navigate through.

No problems at all.


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## Manchego

That's interesting, i drove over it and didn't realise it did that. I was coming from Dieppe but i think you will find they are altering the roads layout to send all through traffic over it.


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## FoweyBoy

Thanks for all the replies. I have to say I am still a little confused and somewhat concerned. If the roads and signage are being changed to make use of the new bridge then maybe the route Autostratus has used over the years may become difficult to follow. We will be coming in on the A28 from Calais and heading for the A13 and N154, so the new bridge looks a bit out of the way. There are still the dreaded underpasses to consider.

Maybe I will head for the Pont de Brotonne again this year and wait for things to settle down in Rouen. We have always refuelled at the Leclerc at Yvetot, though they have now put up 3m height barriers to both fuel and supermarket. Using the auto-pay pumps avoids the fuel height barrier. We have not managed to find a way round the supermarket one so they lose our business!

Thanks again for all the replies,

David


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## JockandRita

Hi there,

We've been through Rouen twice, but don't remember much about it except that we travelled alongside a river for some of the way. :? 

Whistlingypsy (Bob), an experienced European trucker, told me to follow any Spanish or Portugese lorry, as they all know the best route through Rouen.

I shall try that next time, but will also use our new TomTom Truck map as well, for comparison along the route.

Regards,

Jock.


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## whistlinggypsy

> Whistlingypsy (Bob), an experienced European trucker, told me to follow any Spanish or Portugese lorry, as they all know the best route through Rouen.


Jock, it doesn't always work as I remember many years ago following a company paint firms truck I was delivering too up in the North East of the UK and he did take me straight to the factory, trouble was it was 23miles from the one I wanted  :roll: :wink:

Bob


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## homenaway

Hi,

I think last time we went via the Pont de Brotonne in 2007 it was free although the toll booths were still there. The aire at Mailleraye s Seine is not far after it

We have avoided Rouen most years last year after stopping at Cleres we headed south east on D roads crossing the Seine just past Les Andeleys

Steve


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## JockandRita

whistlinggypsy said:


> Jock, it doesn't always work as I remember many years ago following a company paint firms truck I was delivering too up in the North East of the UK and he did take me straight to the factory, trouble was it was 23miles from the one I wanted  :roll: :wink:
> 
> Bob


 :lol: :lol: :lol:



homenaway said:


> The aire at Mailleraye s Seine is not far after it


Ah yes Steve, I do remember that nice little Aire. A lovely spot.

Regards,

Jock.


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## peedee

homenaway said:


> Hi,
> 
> We have avoided Rouen most years last year after stopping at Cleres we headed south east on D roads crossing the Seine just past Les Andeleys
> 
> Steve


I came back that way last year and agree the D road between Les Andeleys and Gournay-en-Bray is pretty good and so is the D road from there via Forges Les Eaux to the A28. Its a good route if you want to avoid Rouen or if on the way back you want to visit the vets in Forges Les Eaux.

Jock, a good few years ago when travelling with two other caravanners north approaching Rouen we were nattering on the CBs on how to get through Rouen (pre sat nav I'll add) and another English voice interrupted enquiring if we were the "skate boards" behind his truck which he described and which we spotted a couple of vehicles ahead. An affirmative answer produced a kindly response of "Follow Me" and we had one of the most less stressful journeys through Rouen I can remember.

peedee


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## Manchego

Fowey, really don't worry about it. It really is not a big problem, certainly not worth going out of your way for. My last transit was my quickest and least problematic crossing of Rouen ever.


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## Briarose

Hi I have just picked up on this topic, whilst looking for the discussion on the underpass in Rouen...............which we very nearly went down to a couple of years ago, fortunately my Husband managed to stop and reverse but it was a scarey moment. I was looking for the topic to bring to the attention of the poster asking about sat nav in Europe.

Anyway back on topic..........does this now mean that the bridge avoids the area that has the said underpass in Rouen, as I am on edge until we are the other side or Rouen now.


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## motorman

Hi you can drive round the underpass by keeping to the right i nearly went
down first time but mist it last year it the quikest way through rouen
motormam


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## Briarose

motorman said:


> Hi you can drive round the underpass by keeping to the right i nearly went
> down first time but mist it last year it the quikest way through rouen
> motormam


Hi thanks for the reply, this is what we did last time, but I was on edge until we had passed the area..........before we set out on the leg to Rouen I said to Hubby just keep to the right and don't be tempted by any left downward roads. It would be nice though if we knew that there was a road that totally avoided it, I hate Rouen it is so busy.


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## hero

Hi all,reading this post has confused me,we are all set on our first trip to France in june,going to the south vendees via tours,this will be our first stop.what i would like to know is ,do i have to look out for low bridges etc,as i will be going A16 then A28 to tours via Rouen,or is it straight forward,i will be using a tom tom ,but dont fancy a low bridge,thanks Matt :?


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## asprn

Briarose said:


> ...we very nearly went down to a couple of years ago, fortunately my Husband managed to stop and reverse but it was a scarey moment


Do you mean the Tunnel de la Grande Mare? If so, what's the problem? Are there restrictions?

Dougie.


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## javea

asprn said:


> Briarose said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...we very nearly went down to a couple of years ago, fortunately my Husband managed to stop and reverse but it was a scarey moment
> 
> 
> 
> Do you mean the Tunnel de la Grande Mare? If so, what's the problem? Are there restrictions?
> 
> Dougie.
Click to expand...

I think Briarose must be referring to the underpasses in the centre of Rouen. Certainly the Tunnel de la Grande Mare is big enough for artics and there were no restrictions when I last came through in November 2009.

Mike


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## Chausson

Hi
The fastest way south from rouen is via the D15 [N15 old map], once through the tunnel slow down and be ready to take a right turning for Evreux on D15. Simple, brings you out at the N154 for heading south/west also avoids the toll.

Ron


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