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The A1 highway closed this summer, how to avoid the hassle?

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The Editor

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It's official: starting July 9, the oldest Parisian highway will be partially closed south of Lille. If you're planning to head to Paris from the capital of Flanders this summer, spoiler alert, it might be a bit trickier than expected, and we strongly recommend reading the following to avoid spending hours stuck in the car.

From July 9 to August 19, construction is taking over the A1 highway heading Lille-Paris, specifically in the Ronchin-Lezennes section. It's a pretty significant construction site that will stretch over several kilometers of pavement, as no fewer than 6 bridges will be completely renovated and 5 km of road will be entirely rebuilt. However, even though the main folks affected are definitely the Lille residents, it might still cause a few problems this summer if you choose the North for your vacation.


An essential project, but still a bit of a hassle

13 million euros. That’s the reasonable amount that has been spent on this work, which will involve no fewer than 40 to 70 workers, day and night, for six weeks, to speed up the construction as much as possible. But why go to such lengths? Simply because this major route accommodates 10.

0 000 vehicles per day in each direction, with 13% of heavy goods vehicles that have certainly worn out the pavement. These works became necessary to ensure the safety of motorists. Generally speaking, a pavement usually gets renewed every 20 years, but the traffic is so dense in this area that 17 years were enough to degrade the road.


Expected Detours

So yes, we know, it might be a bit annoying for some. But the key to staying calm in these situations is to be informed and to plan an alternate route to avoid unpleasant surprises. Luckily, DIR Nord has everything covered. From Dunkirk or the coast via the A25, you should take the RN41 towards Lens to reach the A1 further along. If you're coming from the south of Lille, you'll need to take a detour via the RN356 and then the RN227 through Villeneuve-d'Ascq before getting back on the A1. Lastly, if you’re coming from the north of the city or Belgium (A22), follow the same strategy: take RN227 and then return to the A1 towards Paris. Another option is to choose . for the train. Or the South. It's really the South. It's warm, the cicadas are singing, and we play pétanque. To each their own…