The A81 autoroute is a

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 north-western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. It forms the first part of a long-term project to upgrade the road connection between

Le Mans Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le ...

and Brest to motorway standard throughout. Until 1982 the motorway was known as the F11. The A81 is a part of

European route E50 European route E 50 is an A-type east–west connection across the European continent. It connects the key naval port of Brest France with Makhachkala, on the Caspian Sea in the Russian republic Dagestan. Outlook Half the route is on h ...

linking Brest to

Makhachkala Makhachkala ( rus, Махачкала, , məxətɕkɐˈla, links=yes),; av, Махӏачхъала, Maħaçqala; ce, ХӀинжа-ГӀала, Hinƶa-Ġala; az, Маһачгала, Mahaçqala; nog, Махачкала; lbe, Махачкъала; ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. Section completed: *

- La Gravelle (managed by Cofiroute) () Sections not yet upgraded: * N157: La Gravelle -

Rennes Rennes (; br, Roazhon ; Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine departme ...

() * N12:

- Brest ()

Itinerary

* A11 autoroute interchange ** Rest areas: La Landrière ''(westbound)'', La Chevallerie ''(eastbound)'' ** Rest areas: Les Gripperies ''(westbound)'', La Coire ''(eastbound)'' * Exit 1 (27 km): for Sillé-le-Guillaume,

Sablé-sur-Sarthe Sablé-sur-Sarthe (, literally ''Sablé on Sarthe''), commonly referred to as Sablé, is a commune in the Sarthe department, in the Pays de la Loire region, western France. It is about 50 km northeast of Angers. Population Geography Th ...

, Joué-en-Charnie ** Service areas: Saint-Denis d'Orques ''(westbound)'', Thorigné-en-Charnie ''(eastbound)'' * Exit 2 (50 km): for Évron, Vaiges ** Rest areas: Villeray ''(westbound)'', Loriolet ''(eastbound)'' ** Service areas: Laval-Bonchamp ''(westbound)'', Laval-le-Coudray ''(eastbound)'' * Exit 3 (70 km): for Laval,

Mayenne Mayenne () is a landlocked department in northwest France named after the river Mayenne. Mayenne is part of the administrative region of Pays de la Loire and is surrounded by the departments of Manche, Orne, Sarthe, Maine-et-Loire, and I ...

** Rest areas: La Mayenne ''(westbound)'', Château de Ricourdet ''(eastbound)'' * Exit 4 (77 km): for Laval, Ernée,

Fougères Fougères (; br, Felger; Gallo: ''Foujerr'') is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine department in the region of Brittany in northwestern France. As of 2017, Fougères had 20,418 inhabitants. The Fougères area comprises appr ...

** Rest areas: La Paplonnière ''(westbound)'', La Sorinière ''(eastbound)'' * Exit 5 and current end of motorway (94 km): for Laval, La Gravelle, Vitré ** Service areas (on N157): Derbée ''(westbound)'', Mondevert ''(eastbound)''

External links

A81 Motorway in Saratlas
{{Autoroutes A81