Closure of the A13 extended until at least mid-week

A very complicated morning on the Ile-de-France roads. The traffic information site Sytadin recorded up to 380 kilometers of traffic jams in the region this Monday, April 22. An unusual level of traffic jams, above the average level for a Monday, which normally sees a peak of 310 kilometers of traffic jams shortly before 9 a.m.

The fault is partly due to the closure of the A13 between Vaucresson and Paris since Friday, following a ground movement and the discovery of cracks in the roadway. This highway, which connects the capital to Normandy, is also an important gateway to Paris from the west. Closed until this Monday initially, it will not reopen before “the middle of the week” at best, “if and only if all security conditions are met”, warned Sophie Dupas, deputy director, on France Bleu from the Île-de-France roads department (Dirif).

Dirif agents continued their “reinforced surveillance” of the cracks during the weekend, suspecting “a deep ground movement”. “We carried out work to seal the cracks in the road to avoid water infiltration and a worsening of the situation,” explained Sophie Dupas, adding that it will now be necessary to analyze the geotechnical data collected to find out more about the problem. The retaining wall below the highway and the sanitation works under the road should also be monitored, one of which was also affected by the phenomenon.

On the N12, the A86 and the N118, which serve as alternative access to the Porte de Saint-Cloud, traffic is “difficult” this Monday morning, warns Sytadin. In particular, it takes 29 minutes (instead of the usual 18 minutes) to cover the 8 kilometers that separate Vélizy from Paris, and one hour (instead of 40 minutes) to cover the 22 kilometers between Bois d'Arcy and Paris. The president of the region, Valérie Pécresse, asked the State to take charge of making the A14 free of charge to offer an alternative route and relieve the national roads on which motorists rely.