The prefectures of Nord and Pas-de-Calais have jointly activated an inter-departmental command post ahead of a large demonstration today, 11 July, in opposition to the €5 billion Seine-Nord Europe Canal project. Organisers expect around 2,000 participants to march from Oisy-le-Verger to Aubencheul-au-Bac between 10:00 and 18:00, blocking portions of the D 39 and D 50 departmental roads that feed the A26 motorway corridor. The 107-km canal, slated to connect the Oise and Dunkirk-Scheldt waterways by 2031, is touted as a freight-mobility game-changer, but local farmers and haulage firms fear land expropriations and competitive pressure. Saturday’s march coincides with peak holiday traffic heading to Channel ports, raising the likelihood of diversions. Préfecture notices instruct heavy-goods vehicles to remain on autoroute routes and prohibit agricultural machinery from joining the convoy. Gendarmerie units will enforce rolling closures; GPS routing apps such as Waze and TomTom have uploaded the geofenced zone, but corporate fleet managers should issue manual driver briefings. Coach operators serving Lille-Arras-Cambrai routes are advising passengers to allow an extra 60 minutes. Employers with time-sensitive deliveries to the multimodal Delta 3 logistics hub near Dourges may consider night-shift scheduling or re-routing via the A1. Eurotunnel has not altered train timetables but warns of possible knock-on delays if the A26 becomes saturated. The prefects underline that emergency-service corridors will be maintained and that the command post can activate helicopter medical evacuation if traffic gridlock hampers ambulance movement.
Source: Préfecture du Nord
