A75 autoroute

The A75 is an autoroute (motorway) in France.

Known also as la Méridienne, it is a developmental project aiming to speed up, and reduce the cost of car travel from Paris to the south of France. Apart from the Millau Viaduct, it is free for the entire 335 km (208 mi) between Clermont-Ferrand and Béziers. It was not due to be finished until spring 2011,^[1] but was fully opened in December 2010. South of St. Flour there are views of the Garabit viaduct.

A large portion of the A75 is also part of the European route E11.

The building of a motorway across the Massif Central, in itself, poses engineering challenges. Much of the motorway runs at an altitude in excess of 800 metres (2,600 ft) with 50 kilometres (31 mi) in excess of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft).^[2]

The greatest engineering challenge was the Millau Viaduct, which carries the road over the Tarn. It was constructed under a government contract with the Eiffage group, effective for 75 years. Eiffage collects tolls at agreed rates making this the only tolled part of the A75.

South of the Millau Viaduct in the Pégairolles-de-l'Escalette commune, the road descends from the Larzac Plateau into the Lergue river valley, losing several hundred meters in altitude in a short distance. Including the Tunnel de Pas d'Escalette, the relatively tight and twisty nature of the motorway at this point means that lower variable speed limits are imposed over this stretch of road.

Other features include: Viaducts and bridges

• Viaduc de la Violette, 560 metres (1,840 ft) long, between junctions 21 & 22
• Pont sur la Truyère, 311 metres (1,020 ft) long, between junctions 30 and 31
• Viaduc du Piou, 414 metres (1,358 ft) long, between junctions 38 and 39
• Viaduc du Ricoulong, 342 metres (1,122 ft) long, between junctions 38 and 39
• Viaduc de la Planchette, 221 metres (725 ft) long, between junctions 38 and 39
• Viaduc de Verrières, 710 metres (2,330 ft) long, between junctions 44 and 44.1
• Viaduc de la Garrigue, 340 metres (1,120 ft) long, between junctions 44.1 and 42
• Viaduc de Millau, 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) long, between junctions 45 and 46

Passes

• 990 metres (3,250 ft) between junctions 24 and 25
• Col de la Fageole, 1,107 metres (3,632 ft), between junctions 26 and 27
• Col des Issartets, 1,121 metres (3,678 ft), the highest point on the A75, between junctions 36 and 37
• Col de la Fagette, 882 metres (2,894 ft), between junctions 40 and 41
• Col d'Engayresque, 888 metres (2,913 ft), between junctions 44 and 44.1

Tunnels

• Tunnel de Montjezieu, 616 metres (2,021 ft), long at an altitude of 650 metres (2,130 ft), between junctions 39.1 and 40
• Tunnel de Pas d'Escalette, 725 metres (2,379 ft) southbound, 830 metres (2,720 ft) northbound, between junctions 50 and 51
• Tunnel de la Vierge, 474 metres (1,555 ft), between junctions 52 and 53

In May 2007, construction started on the final section of the A75, a connection from Pézenas to the A9 autoroute a kilometre or so east of the previous Béziers east intersection 35. The route to the south of the present D609 Pézenas-Béziers road bypassing Valros opened in February 2009. Further sections opened in spring 2010. The final section, a gap between Valros and Servian, was completed in December 2010. According to Serge Cuculière, construction operations manager, the delay was due to difficulties encountered on the section ("Les difficultés recontrées sur la section exigent un temps de réalisation plus important").^[1]

• "A75 La Méridienne" (in French). Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link): tourist information
• "A75 La Méridienne". Saratlas. (Note: The distances on this site are inaccurate)
• "aires on the magnificent A75 autoroute". Three noteworthy areas described with photo illustrations and sketch maps.