France's 1975 'Bouchon du siècle' traffic jam stalls 60,000 vehicles
On 1–2 August 1975, France experienced a massive traffic jam known as the "Bouchon du siècle" on the Nationale 10 between Paris and Bayonne. More than 60,000 cars were immobilised along a 600‑kilometre stretch, creating one of the largest road blockages in the country's history.
The jam resulted from an unprecedented surge of holiday travel, with eight million vehicles on the roads—two million more than the previous year. Adding to the chaos, winegrowers in Languedoc‑Roussillon painted road signs black in protest against European regulations, further hindering traffic. The heat wave of summer 1975 compounded the situation, and 145 people died from heat‑related illnesses or road accidents.
French authorities attempted immediate diversion routes, but the scale of the problem prompted longer‑term measures. In the summer of 1976, they issued 600,000 maps detailing 3,500 kilometres of alternative routes and established 18 rest areas on the most congested corridors to improve future traffic management.
Entities
Bayonne · France · Languedoc‑Roussillon winegrowers · Nationale 10 · Paris
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Eight million cars were on French roads that weekend, a rise of two million compared with the previous year. www.lalsace.fr · www.bienpublic.com · www.ledauphine.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] In summer 1976, French authorities issued 600,000 maps showing 3,500 km of alternative routes and created 18 rest areas on the most congested corridors. www.lalsace.fr · www.bienpublic.com · www.ledauphine.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The jam involved more than 60,000 vehicles and stretched about 600 kilometres. www.lalsace.fr · www.bienpublic.com · www.ledauphine.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Approximately 145 people died due to heat‑related issues or road accidents during the jam. www.lalsace.fr · www.bienpublic.com · www.ledauphine.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] On 1–2 August 1975, a traffic jam known as the 'Bouchon du siècle' occurred on France's Nationale 10 between Paris and Bayonne. www.lalsace.fr · www.bienpublic.com · www.ledauphine.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Languedoc‑Roussillon winegrowers protested European laws by painting road signs black, worsening the jam. www.lalsace.fr · www.bienpublic.com · www.ledauphine.com