A84 autoroute

The A84 autoroute is a motorway in western France completed on 27 January 2003. The motorway connects Rennes in Brittany with Caen in Lower Normandy. It is part of the "Autoroute des Estuaires" from Dunkirk to Bayonne, avoiding Paris.

Characteristics

The motorway, 170 km long, cost a total of € 650 million. It is 2 lanes both ways on its entire course and service areas are positioned at regular intervals.

The motorway was built with a special road surface to allow rain water to run off quickly, this is however ineffective with snow that often falls in large quantities in the Winter season. Snowplows are therefore employed regularly. Motorway traffic radio 107.7 broadcasts A84 information specifically.

History

* 1979: Ministerial decision to upgrade the road between Caen and Avranches to dual carriageway.
* 1987: Decision by the CIAT to connect Caen, Rennes and Nantes by motorway ensuring the continuity of the French motorway network.
* 1994: The connections between Caen and Avranches and Avranches and Rennes are declared of public utility.
* 27 January 2003: Opening of the last section of the A84 except the Avranches bypass.

Route

List of Junctions

Future extensions

The A84 currently stops at Avranches. Bypassing Avranches by the West is a dual carriageway that cannot be upgraded to motorway standard due to its layout. A new motorway bypassing Avranches with three lanes is planned as well as a further extension to Nantes by upgrading the RN 137 dual carriageway between Rennes and Nantes.

External links

* [http://saratlas.free.fr/index.php?page=autoroute&route=a84&lang=fr A84 Motorway information] in Saratlas