A8 autoroute

The A8 autoroute, "La Provençale" is a highway in France between Aix-en-Provence and the A7 to the Côte d'Azur.

Route

The A8 is an extension of the A7 starting to the west of Aix-en-Provence at La Fare-les-Oliviers. The road passes through the Departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Alpes-Maritimes. It serves the towns of Aix-en-Provence, Fréjus, Saint-Raphaël, Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monaco and Menton before crossing the border where it becomes the A10 in Italy. It crosses the mountain ranges of Sainte-Balsam and of Maures between Aix-en-Provence and Frejus and it Massif de l'Ésterel between Saint-Raphaël and Cannes. Following the Grande Cornice, the road offers panoramas of the sea between Nice and Menton.

Capacity

* 2x3 lanes from Coudoux (the junction with the A7 to La Barque (junction with theA52).

* 2x2 lanes from La Barque to Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume (being improved to 2x3 lanes) increases to 2x3 lanes at Cagnes-sur-mer.

* 2x4 lanes from Cagnes-sur-mer to Saint-Laurent-du-Var (the road enters the Nice conurbation).

* 2x2 lanes in the section through the southern Alps from Nice Saint-Augustin to the frontier with Italy, this section has 15 tunnels. There is a speed limit of 90 km/h in the tunnels (70 km/h for large vehicles).

Traffic

The road has heavy traffic all year round and is especially congested in July and August (in particular around Antibes and Nice. As a result traffic management schemes have been adopted between Var to Nice-West similar to those on the Péripherique in Paris. The autoroute is regularly closed on the section Nice-Menton as a result of rock falls onto the carriageways. The sections crossing the Maures and L'Esterel mountains are at risk from forest fires in summer.

Interchanges

*
* Aires de repos: Ventabren
* (ouest)
*
* 30 19 km: Aix-en-Provence (pont de l'Arc)
* 31 21 km: Aix-en-Provence (est)
* Châteauneuf-le-Rouge
* Péage de La Barque
*
* Aires de service: Rousset (eastbound) L'Arc (westbound)
*
* Aires de repos: Saint-Hilaire (eastbound) Barcelone (westbound)
*
* Aires de service: Cambarette
*
* Aires de repos: Roudai/Candumy
*
* Aires de service: Vidauban
*
* Aires de repos: Jas Pellicot
* Aires de service: Canaver
*
* Péage de Le Capitou/Fréjus Ouest
*
* Aires de service: L'Esterel
*
*
* / Les Tourrades
* 42 165 km: Cannes / Mougins
* Aires de repos: Piccolaret
* Aires de service: Breguieres
*
* Péage d' Antibes Ouest
* / Bouches du Loup
* 47 179 km: Villeneuve-Loubet Centre
*
*
* (promenade des Anglais)
* 51 187 km: Nice (Saint-Augustin)
* Péage de Nice Saint-Isidore
* 52 190 km: Nice (Saint-Isidore)
* 54 197 km: Nice (nord)
* 55 199.5 km: Nice (l'Ariane)
* (A500 Spur)
* Péage de La Turbie
*
* Aires de service: La Scoperta (eastbound) Beausoleil (westbound)
*
*
* 224 km A10 "autostrada dei fiori" (Customs Posts situated on Italian Territory)

Opening dates of the A8

*1956 : Creation of Escota a company to be in charge of all the sections from Aix-en-Provence to the Italian Frontier.
*1961 : Opening of the toll sections of Fréjus to Mandelieu-la-Napoule until Cagnes-sur-Mer.
*1969 : Opening of the toll section from Roquebrune to the Italian frontier.

External links

* [http://saratlas.free.fr/index.php?page=autoroute&route=a8&lang=fr Autoroute A8 on Saratlas]