A40 autoroute

The Autoroute A40 is a motorway in France that extends from Mâcon on the west to Passy on the east, terminating not far from Chamonix and the Mont Blanc Tunnel. The road runs 208 kilometres (129 mi) through Bresse, the high southern Jura Mountains, northern Prealps and French Alps. It was fully completed in 1990, and includes 12 viaducts and 3 tunnels. The road is maintained by Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône (APRR and ATMB), comprising part of European routes E25 and E62.[1]

A40 autoroute
Autoroute des Titans
Autoroute Blanche
Route information
Part of E25 E60
Maintained by ATMB
Length205.9 km (127.9 mi)
Existed1973–present
Major junctions
West end E15 / A6 at Mâcon
Major intersections 1 D906

2 D68 / D68B / D933
3 D1079 / D1179
E62 / A406
4 D47 / D1079
5 D92 / D975 / D1479
A39
6 D52F / D1083
7 D1075
E611 / A42
8 Saint Martin du Fresne A404 / D12 / D31 / D1084
9 D1084
10 Bellegarde D101
11 D14 / D908A / D1508
13 A41 / D1201
13.1 D18 / D18B / D318 / D1206
14 A411 / D2 / D906A / D1206
15 Vallée Verte D903
E712 / A410
16 Bonneville D19 / D1203
17 D19 / D1205
18 D304 / D1205
19 D1205
20 D2105

21 D39 / D339
East end N205 / D43 / D902 / D1205 at Passy
Location
CountryFrance
Highway system
  • Roads in France

Nomenclature
A trilingual sign written: "Welcome to the 'White Motorway'" in the Rhône-Alpes region

Autoroute A40 is named Autoroute des Titans ("Highway of the Titans") for the dramatic engineering construction through the mountainous sections between Bourg-en-Bresse and Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, and as Autoroute Blanche ("the White Motorway") through the snow-laden Jura and Alps between Bellegarde-sur-Valserine and Annemasse on the Swiss border.

History
The Nantua viaduct on the "Highway of the Titans" of Autoroute A40

ATMB
  • 1973 : The section between Vallard and Bonneville was opened.
  • 1974 : The section between Bonneville and Cluses was opened.
  • 1975 : The section between Cluses and Sallanches was opened.
  • 1976 : The section between Sallanches-Passy was opened in a ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Jacques Chirac.
  • 1982 : The 50 kilometre section between Bellegarde and Annemasse is opened.

These sections were previously numbered B41.

APRR
  • 1985 : Section between Bourg-Nord and -Bourg-Sud (20 km) completed.
  • 1986 : Opening of section between Bourg-Sud and Sylans (Nantua) (61 km). The French President, François Mitterrand opened the motorway giving it the name L'Autoroute des Titans.
  • 1987 : Opening of the section Mâcon to Bourg-Nord (27 km)
  • 1989 : Opening of the section Sylans to Châtillon-en-Michaille (13 km)
  • 1990 : Opening of the junction between the A6 autoroute and the A40 (3 km)
  • 1995 : Widening of the Chamoise Tunnel and viaduct at Nantua and Neyrolles

The western section between the A6 and A42 was originally given the number F42. The whole road was re-numbered the A40 including a short section where the road merges with the A42.

Characteristics

The autoroute is made up of two lanes for each traffic direction except between its junctions with the A42 and A39 (21 km) where there are three lanes on each side.

Junctions
Exit/Junction Destination
  Exchange A6-A40 Motorway starts at junction with A6 to Paris (north), Lyon (south)
 1  (Mâcon-centre) 2 km Towns served: Mâcon
 2  (Feillens) 5 km Towns served: Pont-de-Vaux
 3  (Pont-de-Veyle) 8 km Towns served:
Exchange A406-A40 Junction with A406 (under construction) to
 Rest Area: L'Étang Quinard (eastbound), Saint-André de Bagé (westbound)
 4  (Vonnas) 18 km Towns served: Saint-Cyr-sur-Menthon, N79
 5  (Bourg-Nord) 30 km Towns served: Bourg-en-Bresse
Exchange A39-A40 Junction with A39 to Dole (north)
 6  (Lons-le-Saunier/Étienne-du-Bresse) 39 km Towns served: Bourg-en-Bresse, N83
 Service Area: Aire de Bourg
 7  (Bourg-Sud) 50 km Towns served: Bourg-en-Bresse, N75
 Rest Area: Certines (eastbound), Tossiat (westbound)
Exchange A42-A40 Junction with the A42 to Lyon (south)
 Rest Area: Neuville-sur-Ain (westbound)
 Service area: Ceignes-Cerdon (westbound)
 Rest Area: Ceignes-Haut-Bugey (westbound)
 8  (Nantua St-Martin du Fresne) 81 km Towns served: St Martin du Fresne
Exchange A404-A40 Junction with the A404 to Oyonnax
 9  (Nantua les Neyrolles) 90 km Towns served: Nantua
 Rest area: Le Lac (eastbound), Les Neyrolles de Bagé (eastbound)
 Rest Area: La Michaille (westbound), La Semine (westbound)
 10  (Bellegarde) 106 km Towns served: Bellegarde-sur-Valserine
 11  (Frangy Seyssel) 115 km Towns served: Frangy, N508
 Service Area: Aire de Valleiry
 Péage de Viry
 13  (Saint-Julien) 136 km Towns served: Saint-Julien-en-Genevois
 13.1  (Parc d'Affaire Internationale) 138 km Towns served: Archamps
 Rest Area: Télégraphe de Salève
 14  (Annemasse) 152 km Towns served: Geneva (Switzerland) via spur A411. Annemasse
 Péage de Nangy
 15  (Boëge/Vallee Verte) 161 km Towns served: N503 to Thonon-les-Bains
Exchange A410-A40 Junction with the A410 to Annecy
 16  (Bonneville-Ouest) 170 km Towns served: Bonneville
 Service Area: Aire de Bonneville
 17  (Bonneville-Est) 174 km Towns served: Bonneville
 18  (Cluses-Ouest) 183 km Towns served: Cluses
 19  (Cluses-Centre) 188 km Towns served: Cluses
 Péage de Cluses
 20  (Sallanches) 198 km Towns served: Sallanches
 Rest Area: Passy (westbound)
 21  (Passy Chedde) 206 km Towns served: Megève, Saint-Gervais-les-Bains
 22  (Passy) 208 km the autoroute ends becoming the N205 towards Chamonix and Turin (Italy)

    References
    1. "RN205: Between the Autoroute Blanche and the Mont Blanc Tunnel". ATMB. Archived from the original on 6 August 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.

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