# A7 autoroute

The A7 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil (English: the Motorway of the Sun) is a French motorway. It continues the A6 and links Lyon to Marseille. The autoroute du Soleil is 302.5 km (188.0 mi) long and forms part of European routes E15, E80, and E714.

## History

The part of the road in Marseille was built by the Nazi invaders in 1941.

## Sorties (Exits)

* A7-A6 Junction
* 01 1.8 km: Lyon-centre
* 02 2.3 km: Lyon-centre
* 03 4 km: Oullins
* 04 5.5 km: Pierre-Bénite
* 05 5.5 km: St.-Fons (vers le Boulevard Périphérique, via le Boulevard Pierre-Sémard)
* 06 9.1 km: Vénissieux
* Aire de Solaize
* 07 13.5 km: Solaize
* 07a 14 km: Sérézin-du-Rhône
* Aire de Sérézin-du-Rhône (southbound)
* A7-A46-A47 Junction
* 08 21.5 km: chasse-sur-Rhône (de Marseille)
* 09 26 km: Vienne, Valence par N7, Grenoble par RN (de Lyon)
* 10 32 km: Vienne, L'Isle d'Abeau (de Marseille)
* Péage de Vienne
* Aires de repos : Auberives (northbound) Grande Borne (Southbound)
* Aire de SRoussilon (northbound Petrol only)
* 12 33 km: Chanas Annonay / N82
* Aire de St Rambert d'Albon
* Aires de repos : Blacheronde (northbound) Combe Tourmente (southbound)
* Aires de repos : Bornaron/La Galaure
* Aires de repos : Bouterne (southbound)
* 13 : Tain l'Hermittage Romans
* Aire de Pont de l'Isere/Latitude 45'
* 14: Valence nord
* 15: Gap Valence vers A49 / N532
* Aire de Portes les Valence
* Aires de repos : Bellevue/Livron
* 16: Loriol-sur-Drôme Crest Privas
* Aire de Bras de Zil (AR)/Saulce
* 17: Montélimar Le Teil Dieulefit
* Aire de Montélimar
* Aires de repos : Coucourde/Le logis neuf
* Aires de repos : Savasse/Roubion
* 18: Montélimar Aubenas Le Puy-en-Velay
* Aires de repos : Donzere (southbound) Pierrelate (northbound)
* Aires de repos : Tricastin (southbound)
* 19: Bollène Alès
* Aire de Mornas les Adrets (southbound) Mornas village (northbound)
* A7-A9 Junction
* 21 167 km: Orange
* Aires de repos : Orange le Gres/Orange le Coudoulet
* Aires de repos : Le Fournalet (northbound)
* 22 172 km: Orange sud Carpentras
* Aire de Sorgues (southbound)
* Aire de Repos: Le Fournalet (northbound)
* 23 188 km: Avignon nord Carpentras
* Aire de Morieres (northbound)
* 24 198 km: Avignon sud, Apt
* Aires de repos : Noves (southbound) Cabannes (northbound)
* Aires de repos : Cavaillon
* * 25 211 km: Cavaillon Arles Beaucaire et Tarascon
* Aires de repos : Sénas
* 26 221 km: Sénas
* Aires de repos : Lamanon (southbound)
* 27 229 km: Rognac, Avignon et Lyon par RN
* A7-A54 Junction
* Péage de Lançon Provence
* Aires de repos :
* A7-A8 Junction
* 29 254 km: Rognac Berre
* Aire de Vitrolles
* 30 : Vitrolles
* 29: Aéroport Marignane
* 30: Les Pennes-Mirabeau (de Marseille)
* A7-A55 Junction
* 31: Les Pennes-Mirabeau (de Lyon)
* A7-A51 Junction
* 32: St Antoine (N8)
* 33: Les Aygalades
* 34: Les Arnavaux
* A7-A507 Junction
* 35: La Rose, Aubagne, Toulon par RN
* 36: A557 liaison vers A55, Bd.-Plombière (depuis Lyon)
* 37: Saint Charles
* Terminus at Porte d'Aix

## Péages (Tolls)

* Péage de Vienne
* Péage de Lançon de Provence

## Traffic

This autoroute is fairly heavy throughout the year. Much of the transit of heavy goods between northern France and the Benelux countries and Germany and the Mediterranean passes through the Rhône valley, and thus along the A7. Traffic is also generated by local transit around the larger cities of the region (Lyon, Vienne, Valence, Orange, Avignon). During holiday periods, traffic is particularly congested, southbound at the beginning of holidays, northbound at the end. The last week-end of July and the first week-end of August are particularly crowded in both directions; jams can occasionally stretch for hundreds of kilometers.

## Future

The section of the motorway going through Lyon between La Mulatière and Perrache train station are in the process of being declassified, with the intent of turning this section into an urban boulevard. To compensate, a new motorway, the A44 will be built bypassing Lyon and connecting to the A7.