A20 autoroute

The A20 autoroute or L'Occitane is a highway through central France.

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 Orleans 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 Chateauroux, 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

* to A20
* Péage
*
*
*
* (half-exchanger)
* (half-exchanger)
*
** Service Area: Champs-d'Amour
* (half-exchanger)
* (half-exchanger)
*
** Rest Area: Les Avionneurs (Southbound), Les Avionneurs (Northbound) Les Blés d'Or (Southbound)
*
*
* (half-exchanger)
*
** Service Area: Mille Étangs (Southbound), Val de l'Indre (Northbound)
*
*
* (half-exchanger)
* (half-exchanger)
*
** Rest Area: La Marche Occitane (Southbound), Val de Hollow (Northbound)
*
*
*
** Service Area: Mandé Bois
*
*
*23.A corresponds to the direction of La Souterraine in Provence of Limoges.
** Rest Area: Couleroute
* (half-exchanger)
*
*
*
*
** Rest Area: Beaune-Les-Mines
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
**Rest Area: Briance-Ligoure
*
*
** Service Area: Porte de Corrèze
*
*
*
** Rest Area: Puy de Grâce
*
* to A20
*
*
*
* to A20
*
*
*
*
** Rest Areas: Pech Montat
*
* 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

*
*
** Service Area: Causses de la Lot
** Rest Area: Rauze
*
** Rest Area: Cahors
*
** Rest Areas: Bois de Dourre
*
* Péage
*

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

*
*
*
*
*
*
** Rest Area: Nauze-Vert
*
*
* to A20
* A20 changes into RN20 and becomes a single carriageway road.

External links

* [http://saratlas.free.fr/index.php?page=autoroute&route=a20&lang=fr A20 Motorway on Saratlas]