Crossing the bridges at Le Havre on bike

[chrisgw3]

We are hoping to do a tour of Normandy this coming summer starting at Dieppe, heading along the coast to Etretat and then south.

Are there any restrictions on crossing the bridges across the Seine at Le Havre by bike? On maps it looks like the approaches to the new one (Pont de Normandy) are motorway.

Thanks,

Chris

[chrisgw3]

Have just found some info in the "Does anyone know...?" forum.....

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=7798

[CJ]

Here's a link to my preferred route via the port area (avoiding the most of the railway tracks and traffic) to the cycle path they appear to be gradually extending in this direction (if you're lucky there might be a bit more of it by now) over the Pont de Normandie, and onward to Honfleur.

My understanding of the situation is that since they built this cyclepath over the Pont de Normandie (which being the furthest west provides the shortest route anyway) they closed cycle access to the Pont de Tancarville. However there is no cyclepath along the stretches of A29 motorway either side of the Pont de Normanie. So it is not possible to gain access to it by bike, as one might expect, via the adjacent motorway junctions.

One can gain access to this crossing, only via smaller roads that pass under the approaches to the bridge itself, namely the north bank "Route de l'Estuaire" and the south bank "Zone Industrielle Portaire Eure Calvados". In both cases there is a visitors car park at the point where the cyclepath accesses the bridge, so look out for people strolling on the path for the view, not looking out for you. And this bridge is quite a hill, one could easily be doing more than 30mph just freewheeling off it!

[chrisgw3]

Thanks Chris, the GPX will be useful.

And this bridge is quite a hill, one could easily be doing more than 30mph just freewheeling off it!

Yes, I recall the bridge was a categorised climb in the TdF some years ago.

Chris

[nick arrow]

I cycled both bridges with no problem in july 2007. i think tancarville was harder for traffic, and less pleasant roads; once you're over the pont de normandie, you can be on nice quiet roads

[TeamRamsden]

i cycled the normandy bridge this summer...dead easy, free to cyclists. the hardest thing was getting there...finding the way from the ferry port is surprisingly difficult and we ended up cycling on the motorway by accident which wasn't much fun! but the bridge is fine..and beautiful!

[Helen]

Here’s the approach at the southern (Honfleur) end of the Pont de Normandie 3 years ago. (First 2 photos).

At the northern end we exited west onto the white road (as shown on Michelin map) towards Le Havre. Not recommended. It was very narrow and carried fast lorries. They were considerate, but it was scary to have them riding your mudguard while waiting to overtake. We ended up stopping to let lines of them past.

The 3rd photo is the Pont de Brotonne (next-but-one bridge upstream) by Caudebec-en-Caux. That was awkward and narrow, with panniers sometimes banging on either side, or a bit difficult to wheel along.