This is really a warning to people planning to cross the Pont de Saint Nazaire from Saint Nazaire to Mindin in Southern Brittany. I would strongly advise you to find another route. This bridge is incredibly dangerous for cyclists. It’s a multi lane highway bridge and the ‘cycle lane’ is no more than the width of your handlebars and massive trucks zoom past you at high speed giving no extra space. The bridge is high and therefore very windy adding to the danger. I honestly thought we would not get off this bridge alive and I have a lot of cycling experience.
There is a ferry in July and August but not for the rest of the year. I advise to find another route if at all possible.
Comments
It's a pity you had that experience, Claire. It's one of the very, very few examples of where CT is less than optimum. It's also one of the few examples of poor cycling infrastructure in France - a country I'd be happy to set off in with zero planning.
Depending on direction of travel, origin & destination, a detour to avoid this bridge would add, I reckon, 16-18 relatively flat km (and a crossing with wide, distinct cycle paths). I'm thinking that that 'distance penalty' is why CT directs us over the bridge. (Choosing 'Routes' or 'Gravel' will avoid the bridge altogether). And the fact that the next bridge (as opposed to ferry) is in a large town - another place CT tends to avoid.
All that said, there are more than enough tools in the CT toolbox to help anyone avoid something similar.
First of all, it's a bridge. A 3km bridge. Exceptional things should be treated exceptionally. Choosing 'Find Alternative' will generate options that avoid that bridge in favour of the alternative. Looking at the 'Route Summary' (just for the bridge) we'll see 'busy road':
Then there's Streetview. CT gives us the chance to see exactly what we're going to cycle:
Also, on the default CT map we can see 'official' cycle routes, but I prefer OpenCycleMap for clarity. It is very clear that OCM does not like the bridge.
Of course, whether we've done that prep or not, we're still faced with a choice on the day when we roll up to the bridge. Just because our map/gps/notes say to cross does not mean that we should, at least, right then.
Weather & rush hours can pass over a cup of coffee & pain au chocolat. An alternative can be quickly calculated on app or website - so long as we're comfortable doing that. Of course, there's always the possibility of striking up a conversation with the locals to get advice.
Bridges, tunnels and ferries can be a challenge for cyclists in strange parts. CT is not foolproof, but it has a range of useful tools to help us choose the best option for us.