Big city traffic during rush hour… in a small town. In Mayenne, the city of Châlons-du-Maine is invaded by vehicles, “traffic has increased tenfold” and “a municipal road is badly damaged,” Mayor Loïc Broussey told our colleagues in western France.
In fact, the town, which has about 700 inhabitants, has become an alternative route due to works on a neighboring departmental road, the D962 (old N162), closed until June 28.
Photographs taken by the elected representative show chaos on the roads, with trucks in ditches, for example, due to lack of space for heavy two-way traffic. Residents, understandably, complain about the inconvenience caused by honking traffic jams.
Given this situation, the mayor confirmed the damage to the road by a sheriff this Monday, June 10. “Now there are big holes in the shoulders,” he laments.
An official alternative route that Waze does not follow
As is often the case, it is navigation applications such as Google Maps or Waze that are at the origin of this influx of motorists.
The department has created an alternative route that bypasses Châlons-du-Maine. But we quickly understand why it is not used: for a trip between Laval and the city of Mayenne, the travel time would be 20 minutes longer than passing through the small town.
Simulating this route on Google Maps, the route that passes through Châlons-du-Maine is proposed.
In short, a new illustration of the dialogue of the deaf between those responsible for the road network and the applications that “stupidly” offer the shortest path… which motorists follow in turn, the famous “Waze effect”.
However, some cities have already managed to find solutions: the city of Lieusaint (Seine-et-Marne) adapted its traffic plan in 2019, installing traffic lights and changing certain traffic directions, while limiting the city to 30 km. /h, which had an impact on traffic in its municipality.
More recently, the city of Valence (Drôme) installed barriers on a proposed rural road as a relief route when the A7 motorway was congested. A road not suitable for this type of traffic, with a school nearby. For this reason, the mayor, Nicolás Daragon, decided to close access to this road from April 1 to September 30 as soon as there is a greater risk of traffic, reserving it for residents and people who work in this area of the city. .
Source: BFM TV
