A4 autoroute explained

Country:FRA
Type:A
Route:4
Alternate Name:Autoroute de l'Est
Length Km:482
Established:1974
Direction A:West
Direction B:East
Terminus A:Paris (Porte de Bercy)
Terminus B:Strasbourg
Junction:
  • near Joinville-le-Pont
  • near Nogent-sur-Marne
  • near Collégien
  • near Meaux
  • near Rheims
  • near Rheims
  • near La Veuve
  • near Metz
  • near Metz
  • near Metz
  • near Freyming-Merlebach
  • near Brumath
  • & near Vendenheim

The A4 Autoroute, also known as autoroute de l'Est, is a French autoroute that travels 482km (300miles) between the cities of Paris and Strasbourg. It forms parts of European routes E25 and E50. It is France's second longest after the A10 autoroute.

Its construction began in the 1970s near Paris. The first section between Paris's Porte de Bercy and Joinville-le-Pont opened in 1974 with a single carriageway. A second carriageway was added in 1975, and the following sections between Joinville and Metz were opened in 1975 and 1976. Former autoroutes A32 and A34 were integrated into the A4 in 1982.

From Paris, the autoroute passes the new town of Marne-la-Vallée and Disneyland Paris. It continues on to some of the major cities of France's northeast, including Rheims and Metz, before terminating in Strasbourg. Local roads provide a connection to southern Germany.

Its westernmost part between the Périphérique and the A86 ring road in Paris is reputed to be one of the busiest sections of road in Europe, with 257,000 vehicles a day recorded in 2002.[1]

History

Segment TerminusSegment TerminusConstruction YearNotes
Porte de BercySaint-Maurice1974 (first carriageway)
Porte de BercySaint-Maurice1974 (second carriageway)
Saint-MauriceJoinville-le-Pont1974 (first carriageway)
Saint-MauriceJoinville-le-Pont1975 (second carriageway)
JoinvilleCoutevroult1976
CoutevroultBouleurs1975
BouleursChâteau-Thierry1976
Château-ThierryTinqueux1975
TinqueuxLes Islettes1976
Les Islettes1975
Metz (east)1976
Metz (east)Merlebach1971formerly
MerlebachMundolsheim1976
MundolsheimStrasbourg1972
OrmesTaissy2010Contournement sud de Reims / replaces old road

European Routes

European RouteLocation
 Boulévard Périphérique through  
  through

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: SENAT . 2010-12-02 . 2011-09-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110927084938/http://www.senat.fr/cra/s20021217/s20021217H4.html . dead .