# A20 autoroute

The A20 autoroute or L'Occitane is a highway through central France. A part of France's national network of autoroutes, it is 427 kilometres (265 mi) long.

## Regions Crossed

The road travels through the areas of Occitania, Limousin and Midi-Pyrénées. It starts at Vierzon in Cher and finishes in the south at Montauban in Tarn-et-Garonne. 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 Montauban, DDE in the department between Vierzon and Nespouls. The road crosses the following departments Cher, Indre, Creuse, Haute-Vienne, Corrèze, Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne

## History

The motorway was proposed to reduce the travel time along the RN20 and to avoid congestion during holiday periods at Châteauroux, Argenton-sur-Creuse, Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, Limoges, Uzerche, Brive, Souillac, Cahors and Montauban.

## Route
### From Vierzon to Martel

The motorway is managed by the respective DDE in Cher, Indre, Creuse, Haute-Vienne, of Corrèze and Lot. It is a free motorway with 2x2 lanes, with certain sections with 2x3 lanes, for example the by-pass of Limoges.

#### 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 Vierzon
* 06 (Vierzon) to 3 km: served city Vierzon
* 07 (Vierzon-South) to 6 km: served city Vierzon
* 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 Châteauroux
* 13 (Châteauroux) to 60 km: served cities Châteauroux and Buzançais
* 13.1 (Mézières-en-Brenne) to 64 km: served cities Châteauroux and Mézières-en-Brenne (half-exchanger)
* 14 (Châteauroux-Sud) to 67 km: city served Châteauroux
** 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 Limoges
* 29 (Beaubreuil) to 176 km: served city Limoges
* 30 (Limoges-Nord) to 177 km: served city Limoges
* 31 (Technopôle) to 179 km: served city Limoges
* 32 to 181 km: served city Limoges
* 33 (Limoges-Center) to 182 km: served city Limoges
* 34 to 183 km: served city Limoges
* 35 (Feytiat) to 185 km: served city Limoges
* 36 (Limoges-Sud) to 188 km: served city Limoges
* 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 Uzerche
* 45 (Uzerche Vigeois) to 246 km: served cities Uzerche, Vigeois and 25 km Tulle
** Rest Area: Puy de Grâce
* 46 (Perpezac-le-Noir) to 253 km: served cities Perpezac-le-Noir and Tulle
* 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 Montauban

### Deviation of Montauban and Montauban section - A62

This section is managed by the DDE of Tarn-et-Garonne. 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 Montauban
* 62 to 413 km: served city Montauban
* 63 to 414 km: served city Montauban
* 64 to 416 km: served city Montauban
* 65 (Montauban-Sud) to 417 km: served city Montauban
* 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 and Agen
* A62 to A20
* A20 changes into RN20 and becomes a single carriageway road.