A75 autoroute explained

Country:	FRA
Type:	A
Route:	75
Map:	France_Autoroutes_CS_A75.svg
Image Notes:	Beginning of the autoroute at Clermont-Ferrand
E-Road:	E11
Length Km:	335
Direction A:	North
Terminus A:	at Clermont-Ferrand
Junction:	at Aubière at Issoire at Lempdes-sur-Allagnon at Saint-Chély-d'Apcher at Sévérac-le-Château at Millau at Ceyras
Direction B:	South
Terminus B:	at Béziers
Regions:	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Occitania
Departments:	Puy-de-Dôme, Haute-Loire, Cantal, Lozère, Aveyron, Hérault

The A75 is an autoroute (motorway) in France.

Known also as la Méridienne, it is a developmental project with the aim of speeding up and reducing the cost of car travel from Paris southwards, and apart from the Millau Viaduct, it is entirely free for the 335km (208miles) between Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers. It was due for completion in spring 2011,^[1] but was fully open in December 2010.

South of St. Flour there are excellent views of the Garabit viaduct.

A large portion of the A75 is also part of the European route E11.

Engineering achievements

The building of a motorway across the Massif Central is, in itself, a formidable achievement. Much of the motorway runs at an altitude in excess of with in excess of .^[2]

The single most impressive feature is undoubtedly the Millau Viaduct, which carries the road over the Tarn. It was constructed under a government contract with the Eiffage group, effective for 75 years. Eiffage collects tolls at agreed rates making this the only tolled part of the A75.

Other impressive features include:Viaducts and bridges

• Viaduc de la Violette, long, between junctions 21 & 22
• Pont sur la Truyère, long, between junctions 30 and 31
• Viaduc du Piou, long, between junctions 38 and 39
• Viaduc du Ricoulong, long, between junctions 38 and 39
• Viaduc de la Planchette, long, between junctions 38 and 39
• Viaduc de Verrières, long, between junctions 44 and 44.1
• Viaduc de la Garrigue, long, between junctions 44.1 and 42
• Viaduc de Millau, long, between junctions 45 and 46

Passes

• 990|m}} between junctions 24 and 25
• Col de la Fageole,, between junctions 26 and 27
• Col des Issartets,, the highest point on the A75, between junctions 36 and 37
• Col de la Fagette,, between junctions 40 and 41
• Col d'Engayresque,, between junctions 44 and 44.1

Tunnels

• Tunnel de Montjezieu,, long at an altitude of, between junctions 39.1 and 40
• Tunnel de Pas d'Escalette, southbound, northbound, between junctions 50 and 51
• Tunnel de la Vierge,, between junctions 52 and 53

The route

A75 Autoroute junctions, listed north to south
km	Junc. No.	Northbound exits	Southbound exits	Notes
0				A71 becomes A75 at Clermont-Ferrand
1.5		La Pardieu, Billom, Cournon	Billom	No northbound entry
4
5			Cournon
6.5		Orcet, Le Cendre, Vic-le-Comte, La Roche-Blanche	Le Cendre, Pérignat-lès-Sarliève, La Roche-Blanche
10		Veyre-Monton, St-Amant-Tallende	Orcet, St-Amant-Tallende, Aydat
15		Veyre-Monton, Murol, Chambon sur Lac, Champeix, St Nectaire	Veyre-Monton
18.5		Montpeyroux, Coudes	Montpeyroux
21		-	Coudes, Vic-le-Comte	Southbound entry and northbound exit only
23		Sauvagnat, St-Yvoine	Sauvagnat, St-Yvoine
26.5		La Ribeyre	La Ribeyre
28.5		Issoire centre	-	Southbound exit and northbound entry only
31		Issoire-les-Prés, Orbeil	Issoire-les-Prés, Orbeil
31.5		Issoire couze, Parentignat, Sauxillanges, Ambert, St Germain	Issoire couze, Parentignat, Sauxillanges, Ambert
34		Issoire aérodrome	Issoire centre, Champieux, St Nectaire, Besse	No northbound entry
39		Le Broc, St Germain, Ardres, Le Breuil	-	No northbound exit
38		-	Le Broc	No southbound exit
41		St-Germain-Lembro, Jumeaux	St-Germain-Lembron, Le Breuil
45.5		Charbonnier, Brassac, Ste Florine	Brassac, Charbonnier
50		Lempdes	-	Southbound exit and northbound entry only
51		Lempdes, Vergongheon, Brioude, Le Puy en Velay	Lempdes, Vergongheon, Ste Florine, Le Puy en Velay
56		Lorlanges	Lorlanges, Ardres s. Couze	Aire de Lafayette via this junction
61		Espalem, Blesle, Brioude	Le Puy en Velay, Espalem, Blesle, Brioude
66		Massiac, Aurillac, Murat, Le Lioran	-	Southbound exit and northbound entry only
68.5		-	Massiac	Southbound entry and northbound exit only
81		St-Poncy	St-Poncy
85		Vieillespesse	Vieillespesse
87.5		Coren, Montchamp	Montchamp
92.5		St-Flour, Chaudes-Aigues, Espalion	St-Flour bel-air, Coren
96.5		St-Flour belle vue, St Georges	Aurillac, St Flour centre, Murat, Le Lioran
100.5		Ruynes-en-Margeride	Ruynes-en-Margeride
108.5		Loubaresse	Loubaresse, Viaduc de Gabarit
117		La Garde, Le Bacon	La Garde, Le Bacon	Access to La Lozère services and Geoscope
122.5		St-Chély-d'Apcher, Le Malzieu-Ville, Fournels	-	Southbound exit and northbound entry only
128.5		St-Chély-d'Apcher, Rimeize, St-Alban-sur-Limagnole	St-Chély-d'Apcher, St-Alban-sur-Limagnole, Le Malzieu-Ville, Fournels
134		Aumont-Aubrac, Nabrinals	-	Southbound exit and northbound entry only
138.5		-	Aumont-Aubrac	Southbound entry and northbound exit only
146.5		Le Buisson	Le Buisson
153		Antrenes, Marvejols	Antrenes, Marvejols, Nasbinals
162		Le Monastier, Chirac, Chanac, Florac	Mende, Le Monastier, Chirac, Chanac, Florac
163
168.5		St-Germain-du-Teil	-	Southbound exit only
172		La Canourge, Banassac, St-Germain-du-Teil	La Canourge, Banassac, St-Germain-du-Teil
182.5		Campagnac, St-Geniez-d'Olt	Campagnac, St-Geniez-d'Olt
190		Rodez, Sévérac-le-Château, le Massegros, Laissac	Rodez, Sévérac-le-Château, Laissac	A68 junction. Access to Aveyron services
193		-	Le Massegros	Southbound entry and northbound exit only
200.5		Engayresque	Engayresque
210		Aguessac, Micropolis, Vezins de Levezon, Pont de Salars, Meyrenes	Cahors, Aguessac, Pont de Salars, Meyrenes
215		St-Germain, St Beauzély, Castelnau de Petgarolles	Millau, St Beauzély, Castelnau de Petgarolles	TOLL SECTION SOUTH TO JUNCTION 46
				Toll barrier
223		La Bastide-Pradines, St-Rome-de-Cernon, Roquefort, St Affrique	-	TOLL SECTION NORTH TO JUNCTION 45
234.5		Millau sud, la Cavalerie, Sainte-Eulalie-de-Cernon	Millau, la Cavalerie, Roquefort, St Affrique
244		L'Hospitalet-du-Larzac, La Couvertoirade, Cornus, Alzon, La Vigan	L'Hospitalet-du-Larzac, Cornus, Alzon
257.5		Le Caylar, Lunas, Bedarieux, Cirque de Navacelles	Le Caylar, La Couvertoirade	Access to Le Caylar services
260		-	St-Félix-de-l'Héras	Southbound entry and northbound exit only
267		Pégairolles-de-l'Escalette	Pégairolles-de-l'Escalette
271.5		Lodève nord, Soubès	Le Vignan, Ganges, Lodève nord, Soubès
275.5		-	Lodève sud, Lunas	Southbound entry and northbound exit only
280		Le Bosc	Le Bosc	No southbound entry
283		-	Le Bosc, Lac du Salagou	Southbound entry and northbound exit only
285-289.5		Salelles	Salelles, L'Oasis	No Southbound entry
289.5		Montpellier	Montpellier, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Gignac, St André-de-Sangonis	Junction with A750
294.5		Clermont-l'Hérault, Nébian, Canet, Bedarieux	Clermont-l'Hérault, Bedarieux, Canet, Lac du Salagou
305.5		Paulhan, Adissan, Lézignan-la-Cèbe	Paulhan, Adissan
310	†	Pézenas nord, Sète, Montagnac, Mèze, Marseillan	Sète, Montagnac, Mèze, Marseillan
	†	Pézenas sud, Castelnau-de-Guers	Pézenas sud, Castelnau-de-Guers
	†	Agde, Cap d'Agde	-	Southbound exit and northbound entry only
	†	Pézenas ouest	Roujan, Pézenas ouest
324		Servian, Montblanc	Florensac, Servian, Valros, Montblanc
331		Narbonne, Béziers Centre	-	Southbound exit and northbound entry only
332		Valras-Plage, Serignan, Béziers Cap d'Agde Airport, Béziers	Béziers Centre
333				Toll barrier
334				Junction with A9

† The section between junctions 59 and 61 (the Pézenas by-pass) was not technically motorway and was still designated as the N9, despite the depiction on most maps. Work to upgrade the section to full motorway status was carried out between September 2013 and June 2014.

In May 2007, construction started on the final section of the A75, a connection from Pézenas to the A9 autoroute a kilometre or so east of the previous Béziers east intersection 35. The route to the south of the present D609 Pézenas-Béziers road bypassing Valros opened in February 2009. Further sections opened in spring 2010. The final section, a gap between Valros and Servian, was completed in December 2010. According to Serge Cuculière, construction operations manager, the delay was due to difficulties encountered on the section ("Les difficultés recontrées sur la section exigent un temps de réalisation plus important").^[1]

References

1. News: A75: Le point sur les travaux entre Pézenas et Béziers . Midi Libre . 16 June 2008 . 3 . fr.
2. Association La Méridienne: On n'a pas tous les jours... . Decouverte & Patrimoine . 9 . 28 . Projective Groupe . 2006.

External links

• Web site: A75 La Méridienne . fr. https://web.archive.org/web/20130915212216/ . 15 September 2013.

tourist information

• Web site: A75 La Méridienne . Saratlas. (Note: The distances on this site are inaccurate)
• Web site: aires on the magnificent A75 autoroute. Three noteworthy areas described with photo illustrations and sketch maps.