Route nationale 31

The Route nationale 31 is a motorway in northern France. It connects the town of Rouen to Reims, it is also the European Route 46.

Route

The road starts in the City of Rouen, the road starts heading east. The road heads through the Foret de Lyons passing the Hetre de la Bunodiere. The road then passes the town of Gournay-en-Bray. The road crosses open countryside, a new dual carriageway is under-construction forming the southern by-pass of the town of Beauvais. The N31 currently skirts the Foret du Parc St-Quentin before entering Beauvais. In the town it crosses the N1 (now numbered the RD1001). To the east of the town is a junction (15) with the A16 autoroute.

To the east of Beauvais the N31 has been upgraded to a dual-carriageway. The original route is now numbered the RD931. At Clermont the road has a junction with the N16 (now numbered the RD1016 and RD916). Thereafter the N31 is single carriageway. After 15 km the road crosses the N17 (now numbered the RD1017) and then has a junction (10) with the A1 autoroute. the road then enters the town of Compiègne. The road leaves the town to the north east through the Foret de Compiègne along the banks of the River Aisne. At Soissons the road crosses the N2.

The road continues to follow the Aisne and then the river Vesle to the south east. It passes through the town of Fismes.The road enters the town of Reims at junction (22) of the A4 autoroute.

The road originally continued further east merged with the N44 (now RD944) and after 5 km spliting to the north. The road is now numbered the RD931. It passes through Suippes where it once met the N77 (now RD977). Much of the surrounding countryside is reserved for military purposes. The road finally ends west of Ste-Menehould joining the N3.