A20 autoroute explained

Country:	FRA
Type:	A
Route:	20
Alternate Name:	L'Occitane
Map:	Autoroute A20.PNG
Length Km:	427
Established:	1992
Direction A:	South
Direction B:	North
Terminus A:	in Montbartier
Terminus B:	in Vierzon

The A20 autoroute or L'Occitane is a highway through central France. A part of France's national network of autoroutes, it is 427km (265miles) long.

Regions Crossed

The road travels through the areas of Occitania, Limousin and Midi-Pyrénées. It starts at Vierzon in Cher and finishes in the south at Montauban in Tarn-et-Garonne. However further sections between Orléans and Vierzon (A71) and Montauban-Toulouse (A62) could be renamed the A20 in the not too distant future. L'Occitane is free from Vierzon to Brive-la-Gaillarde via Limoges.

The operating companies are ASF between Cressensac and Montauban, DDE in the department between Vierzon and Nespouls. The road crosses the following departments Cher, Indre, Creuse, Haute-Vienne, Corrèze, Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne

History

The motorway was proposed to reduce the travel time along the RN20 and to avoid congestion during holiday periods at Châteauroux, Argenton-sur-Creuse, Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, Limoges, Uzerche, Brive, Souillac, Cahors and Montauban.

Route

From Vierzon to Martel

The motorway is managed by the respective DDE in Cher, Indre, Creuse, Haute-Vienne, of Corrèze and Lot. It is a free motorway with 2x2 lanes, with certain sections with 2x3 lanes, for example the by-pass of Limoges.

History

• Pre 1992: The Brive and Limoges by-pass.
• 1992 to 2000: creation of the various sections of the motorway

Future

In the long term, a new by-pass for Limoges is proposed (The A20bis project), in order to return the section of the A20 motorway which crosses the Limoges conurbation to its original planned use as a major urban road.

Junctions

• A71 to A20
• Péage
  • • • 05 (Vierzon-North) to 1 km: served city Vierzon 06 (Vierzon) to 3 km: served city Vierzon 07 (Vierzon-South) to 6 km: served city Vierzon 08 (Massay-Nord) to 9 km: served city Massay (half-exchanger)
• 08 (Massay-South) to 15 km: served city Massay (half-exchanger)
  • • 09 (Gracay) to 23 km: served city Gracay Service Area: Champs-d'Amour
• 10 (Vatan-Nord) to 28 km: served city Vatan (half-exchanger)
• 10 (Vatan-Sod) to 32 km: served city Vatan (half-exchanger)
  • • 11 (Brion) to 42 km: served cities Brion, Levroux and Issoudun Rest Area: Les Avionneurs (Southbound), Les Avionneurs (Northbound) Les Blés d'Or (Southbound)
    • 12 (Déols) to 54 km: served cities Déols and Châteauroux 13 (Châteauroux) to 60 km: served cities Châteauroux and Buzançais 13.1 (Mézières-en-Brenne) to 64 km: served cities Châteauroux and Mézières-en-Brenne (half-exchanger)
    • 14 (Châteauroux-Sud) to 67 km: city served Châteauroux Service Area: Mille Étangs (Southbound), Val de l'Indre (Northbound)
    • 15 (Velles) to 75 km: served city Velles 16 (Tendu) to 80 km: served city Tendu 17 (Saint-Marcel-Nord) to 84 km: served cities Saint-Marcel and Argenton-sur-Creuse (half-exchanger)
• 17 (Saint-Marcel-Sud) to 87 km: served cities Saint-Marcel and Argenton-sur-Creuse (half-exchanger)
• 18 (Argenton sud) to 91 km: served city Argenton-sur-Creuse and Saint-Benoît-du-Sault
  • Rest Area: La Marche Occitane (Southbound), Val de Hollow (Northbound)
• 19 (Celon) to 98 km: served city Celon and Saint-Benoît-du-Sault
  • • • 20 (Éguzon Saint-Benoit) to 107 km: served cities Éguzon-Chantôme and Saint-Benoît-du-Sault 21 (Mouhet) to 118 km: city served Mouhet Service Area: Mandé Bois
    • 22 (Saint-Sulpice-les-Feuilles La Souterraine) to 128 km: served cities Saint-Sulpice-les-Feuilles and La Souterraine 23 (Magnac-Laval) to 136 km: served cities Magnac-Laval, La Souterraine and Bellac 23.A corresponds to the direction of La Souterraine in Provence of Limoges.
  • Rest Area: Couleroute
• 23.1 (Châteauponsac) to 143 km: served city Châteauponsac (half-exchanger)
  • • • • • 24 (Béssines) to 148 km: served city Bessines-sur-Gartempe 25 (Razès) to 158 km: served city Razès 26 (Ambazac) to 164 km: served city Ambazac 27 (Bonnac-la-Côte) to 170 km: served city Bonnac-la-Côte Rest Area: Beaune-Les-Mines
            • • • • • • • • • 28 to 175 km: served city Limoges 29 (Beaubreuil) to 176 km: served city Limoges 30 (Limoges-Nord) to 177 km: served city Limoges 31 (Technopôle) to 179 km: served city Limoges 32 to 181 km: served city Limoges 33 (Limoges-Center) to 182 km: served city Limoges 34 to 183 km: served city Limoges 35 (Feytiat) to 185 km: served city Limoges 36 (Limoges-Sud) to 188 km: served city Limoges 37 (Boisseuil) to 190 km: served city Boisseuil 38 (Vigen) to 195 km: served city Vigen 39 (Saint-Hilaire-Bonneval) to 201 km: served city Saint-Hilaire-Bonneval 40 (Pierre-Buffière) to 205 km: served city Pierre-Buffière Rest Area: Briance-Ligoure
      • 41 (Magnac-Bourg) to 214 km: served city Magnac-Bourg 42 (Saint-Germain-les-Belles) to 220 km: served city Saint-Germain-les-Belles Service Area: Porte de Corrèze
        • 43 (Masseret) to 227 km: served city Masseret 44 (Lubersac) to 233 km: served cities Lubersac and Uzerche 45 (Uzerche Vigeois) to 246 km: served cities Uzerche, Vigeois and 25 km Tulle Rest Area: Puy de Grâce
  • 46 (Perpezac-le-Noir) to 253 km: served cities Perpezac-le-Noir and Tulle A89 to A20
    • • 47 (Donzenac-Nord) to 261 km: served city Donzenac 48 (Donzenac-Ouest) to 265 km: served city Donzenac 49 (Ussac) to 269 km: served city Ussac A89 to A20
        • • 50 (Brive-Nord) to 273 km: served city Brive-la-Gaillarde 51 (Brive-Sud) to 275 km: served city Brive-la-Gaillarde 52 (Noailles) to 281 km: served city Noailles 53 (Cressensac) to 285 km: served city Cressensac Rest Areas: Pech Montat
• 54 (Martel) to 293 km: served city Martel
• Péage

From Martel to Montauban

The motorway is operated by ASF. It is a toll road (closed system) with 2x2 lanes.

History

• 1996 to 2003: Construction of the section.

Junctions

• • • • 55 (Souillac) to 303 km: served city Souillac 56 (Labastide-Murat) to 325 km: served city Labastide-Murat Service Area: Causses de la Lot
  • Rest Area: Rauze
    • 57 (Cahors-Nord) to 348 km: served city Cahors Rest Area: Cahors
    • 58 (Cahors-Sud) to 371 km: served city Cahors Rest Areas: Bois de Dourre
  • 59 (Caussade) to 393 km: served city Caussade Péage
• 60 (Montauban-Nord) to 409 km: served city Montauban

Deviation of Montauban and Montauban section - A62

This section is managed by the DDE of Tarn-et-Garonne. It is in 2x2 lanes and free. The Montauban by-pass is the last missing link of A20. The link is currently signaled the RN20 which has yet to be upgraded to autoroute standard. To the south of Montauban, the RN20 was upgraded to motorway standard in the Nineties, and has been re-numbered the A62.

History

• 1992: Construction of the Montauban by-pass
• 2007: Upgrade to the motorway standard

Junctions

• • • • • • • • 61 to 410 km: served city Montauban 62 to 413 km: served city Montauban 63 to 414 km: served city Montauban 64 to 416 km: served city Montauban 65 (Montauban-Sud) to 417 km: served city Montauban 66 (Bressols) to 418: served city Bressols Rest Area: Nauze-Vert
    • 67 to 423 km: served city Moulis 68 to 424 km: served cities Toulouse and Agen A62 to A20
• A20 changes into RN20 and becomes a single carriageway road.

External links

• A20 Motorway on Saratlas