August's crossover: more than 400 km of traffic jams at midday this Sunday

France sees record traffic congestion during August weekend with over 400km of delays The weekend of August 15 saw unprecedented levels of traffic congestion across France, with more than 400 kilometers of roadways affected by slowdowns by midday on Sunday. The situation, described as unusual in scale by traffic monitoring service Bison Futé, followed a similarly heavy Saturday, which recorded over 700 kilometers of congestion. Although conditions eased slightly on Sunday, the number of affected roads remained high, particularly in the south-east region of the country. Traffic data collected by Bison Futé showed that by 13:00 on Sunday, nearly 350 kilometers of roads were experiencing delays, with the figure rising quickly past the 400-kilometer mark around noon. This level of congestion was noted as abnormal, with the majority of affected areas concentrated in the south-east quadrant of France. While other parts of the country reported normal traffic flow, the impact on key highways was significant. Among the most impacted routes was the A7 motorway, linking Lyon to Marseille, which had over 50 kilometers of congestion. The A71, running through the Massif Central, faced 45 kilometers of delays on a stretch longer than 45 kilometers. The A9, stretching from the Spanish border to Orange, had approximately 33 kilometers of slow-moving traffic, while the A10 experienced 20 kilometers of disruption. Other major highways such as the A61 and A62 had less than 10 kilometers of delay. The unusually heavy traffic was attributed to the return of travelers from summer holidays, with Bison Futé warning earlier in the week that “waves of returns will spread throughout the weekend.” It added that “from this weekend onward, returns will take precedence over departures.” On Sunday, the main bottlenecks were observed in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Mediterranean arc regions, especially between and towards the Île-de-France area. Travelers moving through the Massif Central also encountered difficulties. Looking ahead, Monday’s traffic is expected to worsen further. In the direction of departure, delays are anticipated along routes connecting Île-de-France to Bordeaux via Toulouse and toward the Mediterranean coast. Return journeys will face even greater challenges, particularly from the Mediterranean arc back to Île-de-France and via Toulouse to Bordeaux. In Île-de-France, Bison Futé notes that “traffic is expected to be relatively heavy at different toll barriers on the A6 and A10 motorways, which is notable for a Monday.” Authorities have been monitoring the situation closely, with reports indicating that the volume of vehicles on the roads has exceeded typical levels. Emergency services and local governments have advised drivers to plan their travel carefully, considering alternative routes and potential delays. With the holiday season drawing to a close, the pressure on the nation's transportation network is expected to continue for several days.