What began as a tractor convoy on 5 January has evolved into a full-scale occupation of the M7 and A7 motorways south of Lyon, now entering its third day. Roughly 60 tractors and grain trailers remain parked at Pierre-Bénite, forming an impromptu camp complete with space-heaters, bunk beds and communal kitchens.
The Rural Coordination union is protesting low farm-gate prices, rising diesel costs and the EU-Mercosur trade pact that farmers fear will undercut French beef and cereals. Traffic agency Bison Futé logged peak-hour jams exceeding 15 km on the A450 feeder road, spilling congestion onto Lyon’s ring-road and delaying airport shuttles to Saint-Exupéry by up to 90 minutes.
Transport insurers warn corporate shuttle services may have to route via secondary roads or switch passengers to regional rail. Logistics operators DB Schenker and XPO have rerouted high-value freight to the A89 and A75 corridors, adding up to three hours of transit time to Marseille and Barcelona.
![Lyon Farmers’ Blockade Enters Day 3, Choking Rhône Valley Arteries]()
International business travellers caught in the Rhône Valley delays should also ensure their documentation is up to date. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can fast-track French visa applications, renewals or transit permissions at short notice, offering step-by-step support that helps minimise additional disruption.
Talks between union leaders and Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard are scheduled for 8 January. If no compromise emerges—farmers want a guaranteed minimum price indexed to production costs—the blockade could expand to toll plazas on the A6 toward Paris, replicating the 2019 ‘Opération Escargot’ that paralysed north-south trade flows.
Companies with time-critical deliveries or commuter traffic through the Rhône Valley should activate alternate routing, consider hoteling staff on the Lyon city side of the blockade, and brief expatriates unfamiliar with French protest culture about possible police interventions.
The Rural Coordination union is protesting low farm-gate prices, rising diesel costs and the EU-Mercosur trade pact that farmers fear will undercut French beef and cereals. Traffic agency Bison Futé logged peak-hour jams exceeding 15 km on the A450 feeder road, spilling congestion onto Lyon’s ring-road and delaying airport shuttles to Saint-Exupéry by up to 90 minutes.
Transport insurers warn corporate shuttle services may have to route via secondary roads or switch passengers to regional rail. Logistics operators DB Schenker and XPO have rerouted high-value freight to the A89 and A75 corridors, adding up to three hours of transit time to Marseille and Barcelona.
International business travellers caught in the Rhône Valley delays should also ensure their documentation is up to date. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can fast-track French visa applications, renewals or transit permissions at short notice, offering step-by-step support that helps minimise additional disruption.
Talks between union leaders and Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard are scheduled for 8 January. If no compromise emerges—farmers want a guaranteed minimum price indexed to production costs—the blockade could expand to toll plazas on the A6 toward Paris, replicating the 2019 ‘Opération Escargot’ that paralysed north-south trade flows.
Companies with time-critical deliveries or commuter traffic through the Rhône Valley should activate alternate routing, consider hoteling staff on the Lyon city side of the blockade, and brief expatriates unfamiliar with French protest culture about possible police interventions.
