The A75 is an '' autoroute'' (

motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...

) in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Known also as ''la Méridienne'', it is a developmental project with the aim of speeding up and reducing the cost of car travel from

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

southwards, and apart from the

Millau Viaduct The Millau Viaduct (french: Viaduc de Millau, ) is a multispan cable-stayed bridge completed in 2004 across the gorge valley of the Tarn near (west of) Millau in the Aveyron department in the Occitanie Region, in Southern France. The design t ...

, it is entirely free for the between

Clermont-Ferrand Clermont-Ferrand (, ; ; oc, label=Auvergnat, Clarmont-Ferrand or Clharmou ; la, Augustonemetum) is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with a population of 146,734 (2018). Its metropolitan area (''aire d'attract ...

and Béziers. It was due for completion in spring 2011,"A75: Le point sur les travaux entre Pézenas et Béziers", ''Midi Libre'', 16 June 2008, p 3 but was fully open in December 2010. South of St. Flour there are excellent views of the

Garabit viaduct The Garabit viaduct (french: viaduc de Garabit) is a railway arch bridge spanning the Truyère, near Ruynes-en-Margeride, Cantal, France, in the mountainous Massif Central region. The bridge was constructed between 1882 and 1884 by Gustave Eiffe ...

. A large portion of the A75 is also part of the

European route E11 European route E11 is a road, part of the International E-road network. It begins in Orléans and ends in Béziers, France. It is long, its whole length being in France. It takes up the entire French autoroutes A71 and A75. The road uses ...

Engineering achievements

The building of a motorway across the

Massif Central The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,0 ...

is, in itself, a formidable achievement. Much of the motorway runs at an altitude in excess of 800 m (2600 ft) with 50 km in excess of 1000 m (3250 ft). The single most impressive feature is undoubtedly the

, which carries the road over the Tarn. It was constructed under a government contract with the

Eiffage Eiffage S.A. is a French civil engineering construction company. it was the third largest company of its type in France, and the fifth largest in Europe. History The company was formed in 1992 through the merger of several long standing com ...

group, effective for 75 years. Eiffage collects tolls at agreed rates making this the only tolled part of the A75. Other impressive features include: Viaducts and bridges * Viaduc de la Violette, 560 m long, between junctions 21 & 22 * Pont sur la Truyère, 311 m long, between junctions 30 and 31 * Viaduc du Piou, 414 m long, between junctions 38 and 39 * Viaduc du Ricoulong, 342 m long, between junctions 38 and 39 * Viaduc de la Planchette, 221 m long, between junctions 38 and 39 * Viaduc de Verrières, 710 m long, between junctions 44 and 44.1 * Viaduc de la Garrigue, 340 m long, between junctions 44.1 and 42 * Viaduc de Millau, 2500 m long, between junctions 45 and 46 Passes * 990 m between junctions 24 and 25 * Col de la Fageole, 1107 m, between junctions 26 and 27 * Col des Issartets, 1121 m, the highest point on the A75, between junctions 36 and 37 * Col de la Fagette, 882 m, between junctions 40 and 41 * Col d'Engayresque, 888 m, between junctions 44 and 44.1 Tunnels * Tunnel de Montjezieu, 616 m long at an altitude of 650 m, between junctions 39.1 and 40 * Tunnel de Pas d'Escalette, 725 m southbound, 830 m northbound, between junctions 50 and 51 * Tunnel de la Vierge, 474 m, between junctions 52 and 53

The route

:† ''The section between junctions 59 and 61 (the Pézenas by-pass) was not technically motorway and was still designated as the N9, despite the depiction on most maps. Work to upgrade the section to full motorway status was carried out between September 2013 and June 2014.'' In May 2007, construction started on the final section of the A75, a connection from

Pézenas Pézenas (; Languedocien: ''Pesenàs'') is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Name The name "Pézenas" is derived from the older name ''Piscenae'', probably from the Latin word ''piscenis'', meanin ...

to the A9 autoroute a kilometre or so east of the previous Béziers east intersection 35. The route to the south of the present D609 Pézenas-Béziers road bypassing Valros opened in February 2009. Further sections opened in spring 2010. The final section, a gap between Valros and Servian, was completed in December 2010. According to Serge Cuculière, construction operations manager, the delay was due to difficulties encountered on the section ("''Les difficultés recontrées sur la section exigent un temps de réalisation plus important''").

References

External links

''La Meridienne'' official website (French) (2013 copy from WayBack Machine
tourist information
A75 autoroute
at Saratlas (Note: The distances on this site are inaccurate)
Rest areas on the magnificent A75 autoroute
Three noteworthy areas described. Photo illustrations, sketch maps. {{DEFAULTSORT:A75 Autoroute Autoroutes in France