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.[1]
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/110605-Autoroute-A7-A47.jpg/220px-110605-Autoroute-A7-A47.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Autoroute-A7-A9-2.jpg/220px-Autoroute-A7-A9-2.jpg)
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)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/France_A7.svg/150px-France_A7.svg.png)
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.[2]
References
- ^ "Bastide de la Guillermy". Tourisme Marseille. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
- ^ "Feu vert pour le déclassement des autoroutes A6-A7". Le Progrès. Retrieved 4 May 2016.