A8 autoroute
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The A8 autoroute, La Provençale is a highway in France between Aix-en-Provence and the A7 to the Côte d'Azur.
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[edit] Route
The A8 is an extension of the A7 starting to the west of Aix-en-Provence at La Fare-les-Oliviers. The road passes through thr Departments of Bouches de Rhone, Var and Alpes-Maritimes. It serves the towns of Aix-en-Provence, Frejus, Saint-Raphaël, Cannes, Antibes, Nice, Monaco and Menton before crossing the border where it becomes the A10 in Italy. It crosses the mountain ranges of Sainte-Balsam and of Maures between Aix-en-Provence and Frejus and it Massif de Esterel between Saint-Raphaël and Cannes. Following the Grande Cornice, the road offers panoramas of the sea between Nice and Menton.
[edit] Capacity
- 2x3 lanes from Coudoux (the junction with the A7 to La Barque (junction with theA52).
- 2x2 lanes from La Barque to Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume (being improved to 2x3 lanes) increases to 2x3 lanes at Cagnes-sur-mer.
- 2x4 lanes from Cagnes-sur-mer to Saint-Laurent-du-Var (the road enters the Nice conurbation).
- 2x2 lanes in the section throught the southern Alps from Nice Saint-Augustin to the frontier with Italy, this section has 15 tunnels. There is a speed limit of 90 kmph in the tunnels (70 kmph for large vehicles).
[edit] Traffic
The road has heavy traffic all year round and is especially congested in July and August (in particular around Antibes and Nice. As a result traffic management schemes have been adopted between Var to Nice-West similar to those on the Péripherique in Paris. The autoroute is regularly closed on the section Nice-Menton as a result of rock falls onto the carriageways. The sections crossing the Maures and L'Esterel mountains are at risk from forest fires in summer.
[edit] Interchanges
- 28 : A7 autoroute,Coudoux
- Aires de repos: Ventabren
- 29 18 km: Aix-en-Provence (ouest)
- 28 : A51 autoroute
- 30 19 km: Aix-en-Provence (pont de l'Arc)
- 31 21 km: Aix-en-Provence (est)
- 32 27 km: N7 Châteauneuf-le-Rouge
- Péage de La Barque
- : A52 autoroute
- Aires de service: Rousset (eastbound) L'Arc (westbound)
- 33 47 km: Pourrières
- Aires de repos: Saint-Hilaire (eastbound) Barcelone (westbound)
- 34 58 km: Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume
- Aires de service: Cambarette
- 35 74 km: Brignoles
- Aires de repos: Roudai/Candumy
- : A57 autoroute
- Aires de service: Vidauban
- 36 118 km: Draguignan / le Muy, Gulf of Saint-Tropez
- Aires de repos: Jas Pellicot
- Aires de service: Canaver
- 37 129 km: Fréjus / Puget-sur-Argens
- Péage de Le Capitou/Fréjus Ouest
- 38 134 km: Fréjus / Saint-Raphaël
- Aires de service: L'Esterel
- 39 145 km: les Adrets-de-l'Esterel
- 40 157 km: Mandelieu-la-Napoule
- 41 159 km: Cannes / Les Tourrades
- 42 165 km: Cannes / Mougins
- Aires de repos: Piccolaret
- Aires de service: Breguieres
- 44 171 km: Antibes Ouest, Sophia Antipolis
- Péage d' Antibes Ouest
- 46 178 km: Villeneuve-Loubet / Bouches du Loup
- 47 179 km: Villeneuve-Loubet Centre
- 48 181 km: Cagnes-sur-Mer
- 49 185 km: Saint-Laurent-du-Var
- 50 186 km: Nice (promenade des Anglais)
- 51 187 km: Nice (Saint-Augustin)
- Péage de Nice Saint-Isidore
- 52 190 km: Nice (Saint-Isidore)
- 54 197 km: Nice (nord)
- 55 199.5 km: Nice (l'Ariane)
- 56 : Monaco (A500 Spur)
- Péage de La Turbie
- 57 208 km: la Turbie
- Aires de service: La Scoperta (eastbound) Beausoleil (westbound)
- 58 214 km: Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
- 59 220 km: Menton
- 224 km ItalyA10 autostrada dei fiori (Customs Posts situated on Italian Territory)
[edit] Opening dates of the A8
- 1956 : Creation of Escota a company to be in charge of all the sections from Aix-en-Provence to the Italian Frontier.
- 1961 : Opening of the toll sections of Fréjus to Mandelieu-la-Napoule until Cagnes-sur-Mer.
- 1969 : Opening of the toll section from Roquebrune to the Italian frontier.
[edit] External Links
French motorways | ||
A 1 | A 2 | A 3 | A 4 | A 5 | A 6 | A 7 | A 8 | A 9 | A 10 | A 11 | A 12 | A 13 | A 14 | A 15 | A 16 | A 19 | A 20 | A 21 | A 22 | A 23 | A 25 | A 26 | A 27 | A 28 | A 29 | A 30 | A 31 | A 32 | A 33 | A 34 | A 35 | A 36 | A 38 | A 39 | A 40 | A 41 | A 42 | A 43 | A 44 | A 45 | A 46 | A 47 | A 48 | A 49 | A 50 | A 51 | A 52 | A 54 | A 55 | A 57 | A 61 | A 62 | A 63 | A 64 | A 65 | A 66 | A 68 | A 71 | A 72 | A 75 | A 77 | A 79 | A 81 | A 83 | A 84 | A 85 | A 86 | A 87 | A 89 | A 103 | A 104 | A 105 | A 110 | A 115 | A 131 | A 132 | A 186 | A 199 | A 203 | A 330 | A 390 | A 404 | A 406 | A 430 | A 432 | A 501 | A 520 | A 570 | A 630 | A 660 | A 680 | A 711 | A 719 | A 750 | A 831 | A 837 |