The A20 autoroute or L'Occitane is a highway through central

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. A part of France's national network of autoroutes, it is long.

Regions Crossed

The road travels through the areas of Occitania, Limousin and Midi-Pyrénées. It starts at

Vierzon Vierzon () is a Communes of France, commune in the Cher (department), Cher departments of France, department, Centre-Val de Loire, France. Geography A medium-sized town by the banks of the river Cher (river), Cher with some light industry and a ...

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

and finishes in the south at

Montauban Montauban (, ; ) is a commune in the southern French department of Tarn-et-Garonne. It is the capital of the department and lies north of Toulouse. Montauban is the most populated town in Tarn-et-Garonne, and the sixth most populated of Oc ...

Tarn-et-Garonne Tarn-et-Garonne (; ) is a Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania Regions of France, region in Southern France. It is traversed by the rivers Tarn (river), Tarn and Garonne, from which it takes its n ...

. However further sections between Orléans and Vierzon ( A71) and Montauban-Toulouse ( A62) could be renamed the A20 in the not too distant future. L'Occitane is free from Vierzon to Brive-la-Gaillarde via Limoges. The operating companies are ASF between Cressensac and

, DDE in the department between

and Nespouls. The road crosses the following departments

Indre Indre (); is a department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administrative region of Cent ...

Creuse Creuse (; or ) is a department in central France named after the river Creuse. After Lozère, it is the second least populated department in France. It is bordered by Indre and Cher to the north, Allier and Puy-de-Dôme to the east, Cor ...

Haute-Vienne Haute-Vienne (; , ; Upper Vienne) is a département in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwest-central France. Named after the Vienne River, it is one of the twelve départements that together constitute Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The prefecture an ...

Corrèze Corrèze (; ) is a département in France, named after the river Corrèze which runs through it. Although its prefecture is Tulle, its most populated city is Brive-la-Gaillarde. Corrèze is located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, on the bo ...

, Lot,

History

The motorway was proposed to reduce the travel time along the RN20 and to avoid congestion during holiday periods at

Châteauroux Châteauroux ( ; ; ) is the capital city of the French department of Indre, central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called ''Castelroussins'' () in French. Climate Châteauroux te ...

, Argenton-sur-Creuse, Saint-Benoît-du-Sault,

Limoges Limoges ( , , ; , locally ) is a city and Communes of France, commune, and the prefecture of the Haute-Vienne Departments of France, department in west-central France. It was the administrative capital of the former Limousin region. Situated o ...

Uzerche Uzerche (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Corrèze Departments of France, department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regions of France, region of central France. In 1787, the English writer Arthur Young described the town as "the pearl of ...

, Brive, Souillac, Cahors and

Route

From Vierzon to Martel

The motorway is managed by the respective DDE in

, of

and Lot. It is a free motorway with 2x2 lanes, with certain sections with 2x3 lanes, for example the by-pass of

History

* Pre 1992: The Brive and Limoges by-pass. * 1992 to 2000: creation of the various sections of the motorway

Future

In the long term, a new by-pass for Limoges is proposed (The A20bis project), in order to return the section of the A20 motorway which crosses the Limoges conurbation to its original planned use as a major urban road.

Junctions

* A71 to A20 * Péage *05 (Vierzon-North) to 1 km: served city

*06 (Vierzon) to 3 km: served city

*07 (Vierzon-South) to 6 km: served city

*08 (Massay-Nord) to 9 km: served city Massay (half-exchanger) *08 (Massay-South) to 15 km: served city Massay (half-exchanger) *09 (Gracay) to 23 km: served city Gracay ** Service Area: Champs-d'Amour *10 (Vatan-Nord) to 28 km: served city Vatan (half-exchanger) *10 (Vatan-Sod) to 32 km: served city Vatan (half-exchanger) *11 (Brion) to 42 km: served cities Brion, Levroux and Issoudun ** Rest Area: Les Avionneurs (Southbound), Les Avionneurs (Northbound) Les Blés d'Or (Southbound) *12 (Déols) to 54 km: served cities Déols and

*13 (Châteauroux) to 60 km: served cities

and Buzançais *13.1 (Mézières-en-Brenne) to 64 km: served cities

and Mézières-en-Brenne (half-exchanger) *14 (Châteauroux-Sud) to 67 km: city served

** Service Area: Mille Étangs (Southbound), Val de l'Indre (Northbound) *15 (Velles) to 75 km: served city Velles *16 (Tendu) to 80 km: served city Tendu *17 (Saint-Marcel-Nord) to 84 km: served cities Saint-Marcel and Argenton-sur-Creuse (half-exchanger) *17 (Saint-Marcel-Sud) to 87 km: served cities Saint-Marcel and Argenton-sur-Creuse (half-exchanger) *18 (Argenton sud) to 91 km: served city Argenton-sur-Creuse and Saint-Benoît-du-Sault ** Rest Area: La Marche Occitane (Southbound), Val de Hollow (Northbound) *19 (Celon) to 98 km: served city Celon and Saint-Benoît-du-Sault *20 (Éguzon Saint-Benoit) to 107 km: served cities Éguzon-Chantôme and Saint-Benoît-du-Sault *21 (Mouhet) to 118 km: city served Mouhet ** Service Area: Mandé Bois *22 (Saint-Sulpice-les-Feuilles La Souterraine) to 128 km: served cities Saint-Sulpice-les-Feuilles and La Souterraine *23 (Magnac-Laval) to 136 km: served cities Magnac-Laval, La Souterraine and Bellac *23.A corresponds to the direction of La Souterraine in Provence of Limoges. ** Rest Area: Couleroute *23.1 (Châteauponsac) to 143 km: served city Châteauponsac (half-exchanger) *24 (Béssines) to 148 km: served city Bessines-sur-Gartempe *25 (Razès) to 158 km: served city Razès *26 (Ambazac) to 164 km: served city Ambazac *27 (Bonnac-la-Côte) to 170 km: served city Bonnac-la-Côte ** Rest Area: Beaune-Les-Mines *28 to 175 km: served city

*29 (Beaubreuil) to 176 km: served city

*30 (Limoges-Nord) to 177 km: served city

*31 (Technopôle) to 179 km: served city

*32 to 181 km: served city

*33 (Limoges-Center) to 182 km: served city

*34 to 183 km: served city

*35 (Feytiat) to 185 km: served city

*36 (Limoges-Sud) to 188 km: served city

*37 (Boisseuil) to 190 km: served city Boisseuil *38 (Vigen) to 195 km: served city Vigen *39 (Saint-Hilaire-Bonneval) to 201 km: served city Saint-Hilaire-Bonneval *40 (Pierre-Buffière) to 205 km: served city Pierre-Buffière **Rest Area: Briance-Ligoure *41 (Magnac-Bourg) to 214 km: served city Magnac-Bourg *42 (Saint-Germain-les-Belles) to 220 km: served city Saint-Germain-les-Belles ** Service Area: Porte de Corrèze *43 (Masseret) to 227 km: served city Masseret *44 (Lubersac) to 233 km: served cities Lubersac and

*45 (Uzerche Vigeois) to 246 km: served cities

, Vigeois and 25 km

Tulle Tulle (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in central France. It is the third-largest town in the former region of Limousin and is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Corrèze, in the Regions of France, region of Nouvelle- ...

** Rest Area: Puy de Grâce *46 (Perpezac-le-Noir) to 253 km: served cities Perpezac-le-Noir and

* A89 to A20 *47 (Donzenac-Nord) to 261 km: served city Donzenac *48 (Donzenac-Ouest) to 265 km: served city Donzenac *49 (Ussac) to 269 km: served city Ussac * A89 to A20 *50 (Brive-Nord) to 273 km: served city Brive-la-Gaillarde *51 (Brive-Sud) to 275 km: served city Brive-la-Gaillarde *52 (Noailles) to 281 km: served city Noailles *53 (Cressensac) to 285 km: served city Cressensac ** Rest Areas: Pech Montat *54 (Martel) to 293 km: served city Martel * Péage

From Martel to Montauban

The motorway is operated by ASF. It is a toll road (closed system) with 2x2 lanes.

History

* 1996 to 2003: Construction of the section.

Junctions

*55 (Souillac) to 303 km: served city Souillac *56 (Labastide-Murat) to 325 km: served city Labastide-Murat ** Service Area: Causses de la Lot ** Rest Area: Rauze *57 (Cahors-Nord) to 348 km: served city Cahors ** Rest Area: Cahors *58 (Cahors-Sud) to 371 km: served city Cahors ** Rest Areas: Bois de Dourre *59 (Caussade) to 393 km: served city Caussade * Péage *60 (Montauban-Nord) to 409 km: served city

Deviation of Montauban and Montauban section - A62

This section is managed by the DDE of

. It is in 2x2 lanes and free. The Montauban by-pass is the last missing link of A20. The link is currently signaled the RN20 which has yet to be upgraded to autoroute standard. To the south of Montauban, the RN20 was upgraded to motorway standard in the Nineties, and has been re-numbered the A62.

History

* 1992: Construction of the Montauban by-pass * 2007: Upgrade to the motorway standard

Junctions

*61 to 410 km: served city

*62 to 413 km: served city

*63 to 414 km: served city

*64 to 416 km: served city

*65 (Montauban-Sud) to 417 km: served city

*66 (Bressols) to 418: served city Bressols ** Rest Area: Nauze-Vert *67 to 423 km: served city Moulis *68 to 424 km: served cities

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

and Agen * A62 to A20 * A20 changes into RN20 and becomes a single carriageway road.

External links

A20 Motorway on Saratlas
{{Autoroutes A20