France

Obsolete numbers (used until 1950's) classed below D:

General description:

Motorways: In some cases, motorways have roughly the same route as the national road with the same number, for example the A4 and N4 both link Paris with Strasbourg (though they are more than 50 km apart in between) and the A6 and N6 both Link Paris and Lyon. Another example is the A20. This one was derived from the N20 and therefore it is an exception to the zone system:

There are single carriageway motorways. A few A roads even have crossings at grade. See also Route list.

National roads: Numbers 1-17 evolve in clockwise order around Paris, beginning with the N1 to the north. Higher numbers are assigned sequentially, continuing to evolve around Paris (but no longer from Paris or even in the direction of Paris). Numbers 1-192 are generally the most important roads. Numbers 193-200 are on Corse and 201-212 are in the Alps. Any other numbers between 212 and 300 were introduced after the number change of 1973-76 (see History below). Most of them are derived from lower numbers (some of those are A numbers) by adding a multiple of 100 (see route list). Some of the numbers between 300 and 580 are remnants of the old zone system (see below), others are derived from lower numbers. Many N roads today are quite minor (e.g. N544, N545, N546). During its long history, the N road system has become rather inconsistent with many curious special situations, and the rules that can be formulated tend to have strange exceptions. The class distinction for N roads is very loose: it can only be said that numbers up to 212 are generally more important than higher numbers. Some strange examples (see also History):

Many 3-d numbers are derived from lower numbers (sometimes A) by adding a multiple of 100. In some cases, numbers are derived in another way. Examples:

4-d numbers are always derived from 1- to 3-d N numbers, by adding either 1000 or 2000.

1000 is added for new roads (mostly bypasses around cities). The only known exception is the N1453, which used to be the N453.

2000 is added to the number of an old road, when the main road is diverted via a new road. This is not done when a motorway replaces the old road (i.e. where the old N number disappears), except in the case of the N2009 near Millau, which was replaced by the A75.

In many cases, these 4-d N numbers are temporary only. Eventually numbers in the 1000 series are replaced by the original N number and the old road is downgraded to a D road (e.g. the N1176 near Dinan soon became the N176). Numbers in the 2000 series are replaced by D numbers wnding in the same 2 digits (in other words, a multiple of 100 is subtracted). The same number can be used several times. For example, the N2007 is the old N7 in Moulins, Vienne and Roanne.

Examples:

See also Route list. Here all known 'parent' routes are indicated.

Departmental roads: Every department has its own system. Numbers are mostly assigned sequentially except for decommissioned national roads.

The same derivation as for N roads is sometimes used for D roads: the D1763 is a bypass to the D763.

Most N roads are to be transferred to the departments, see history below.

In 2012, a separate class of metropolitan roads was introduced only in Nice Côte d'Azur. Numbers are taken over from D roads, e.g. D1 can become M1. Therefore it can be expected that the numbers will remain unique per departement.

In Corsica, N roads were replaced by T roads in 2014. See Wikipedia and official announcement.

C roads are rarely signposted. Sometimes roads are just indicated as 'C' without a number.

Other roads: M and T numbers are near Melun only.

The following formats are possible for suffixes:

Road signs:

C numbers are rarely indicated on signs.

History:

Motorways: Motorway numbers were introduced in 1963. Until 1982, there were second class motorways with numbers with prefix B, C, F, G and H. These were derived from A numbers with the same digits (e.g. A52 > C52, A15 > F15). Presumably, D and E were not used because of duplication with Departmental and European roads, respectively. They were later changed, mostly to 3-d A numbers. For example, the F15 (derived from the A15) became the A115. Other examples are B35, B52, C52, B61 and B86.

The B31 still exists, it is the ramp A5 > A31 north. It only appears on km posts.

There used to be a zone 9 between Paris and Caen but the numbers were changed and the area became part of zone 1. There were also a few 4-d numbers but these have all been changed to 3-d numbers. All 3-d numbers beginning with 9 were also changed so currently there are only numbers under 900. See route list.

Routes Nationales: The numbering system was one of the first in the world, introduced on 16 december 1811 by Napoleon. Numbers appeared on signs around 1912. Many of today's N roads still have the same approximate route as 90 years ago, and some are even the same as in 1811, though most of them have been realigned.

Until 1976 there was a zone system for numbers 301-853. Zones were determined by the first digit and there was not much overlap. Zones evolved in clockwise order around Paris, though there were only numbers beginning with 3, 4 and 7 near Paris:

Between 1973 and 1976, many national roads were transferred to departmental administration. In 1976 there were about 29000 km of national roads left.

Very often the first digit was changed to 9 (e.g. N552 became D952). Therefore, D numbers in the 900 series are often more important than others, but there are too many exceptions to say that these form a higher sub class of D numbers. For some the old number was retained but the N was replaced by a D. In the departement Alpes-Maritimes, 2000 was added (e.g. N566 > D2566). Many of the more important roads (with numbers up to 212) were downgraded in a similar way.

Some of the less important roads either kept their number (if they were in zones 3, 4 or 5) or were renumbered by changing the first digit in order to avoid numbers over 580 (e.g. N650 became N250).

The downgrading was almost finished by 1976 except in the area near Marseille, where some more numbers were downgraded later and near Paris, where many were given a D number around 1995. Until the present, there are still many more N numbers near Paris and Marseille for minor roads. Near Paris, they often stop at departement borders (e.g. the N303). It can be expected that the remaining parts will also become D roads in future.

After the downgrading of national roads, the highest existing number was N580. In recent years, some relatively minor roads have been given an N number (for example, the N544 near Fos-sur-Mer). Until about 2000, there were no 3-d N numbers over 580. Then the numbers N814 (ring Caen) and N999 (link between A 4 and A199) were introduced. The 4-digit N numbers are also a recent phenomenon, introduced around 1990.

The N141 Limoges - Clermont-Ferrand was one of the most important N roads that were downgraded. It became the D941 but in the mid 1990's it was changed back to N141 except near Clermont-Ferrand (in the departement Puy-de-Dôme).

Another interesting case is the N104. This was originally the route Aubenas - Loriol-sur-Drome but the number was later assigned to the southeastern part of the Paris outer ring road (La Francilienne). Apparently the old N104 was changed into N304 but part of it still bears its old number, perhaps simply because signs have not yet been replaced.

In 2006, a major new downgrading operation was started. According to the Michelin atlas, only the following departments have started to implement this, according to these rules:

All RD roads used to be N roads. Most of them have recently been replaced by D roads.

Most frequent schemes:

Nxy > RDxy > RD9xy > D9xy

N3xy > RD3xy > RD9xy > D9xy

Overview:

Lower classes: All Ic and G roads were given D or C numbers, in 1938, but some signs remained until the 1950's.

Routes métropolitaines were introduced in 2012. National routes in Corsica were replaced by T roads in 2014.

Sources and links: Various maps and atlases, personal experience

1. Official sites:

   1. Ministère de l'Equipement, du Logement, des Transports et du Tourisme

   2. Arrêté du 29 mai 2005 portant constitution des directions interdépartementales des routes Contains information on some special road numbers 

2. Instruction interministérielle sur la signalisation routière

• 1. Nomenclature Autoroutes 1982

3. Replacement of national roads by territorial roads in Corsica

4. Other links:

• 1. Portail SARA, Sites Amoureux des Routes et Autoroutes

  2. SARatlas

  3. WikiSara

  4. Routes Impériales Wikisara

  5. Former motorway and expressway numbers Wikisara

  6. autoroutes-news

  7. Motorway construction projects

  8. Association pour la Route Centre Europe Atlantique new east-west routes

  9. Cofiroute

  10. ASFA

  11. ESCOTA

  12. Automobi.free.fr links

  13. Old maps by Pascal Pannetier

  14. Abrégé d'histoire des routes by Jean Billard

  15. Revue Générale des Routes - news

  16. Societe des autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhones

  17. Les autoroutes Rhone-Alpes

  18. Societe des autoroutes Paris-Normandie

  19. Societe des autoroutes du sud de la France

  20. Ressources d'infos sur les routes

  21. France Autoroutes contains thousands of pictures

  22. Explanation of road classes and green signs SARA forum

5. Roadbook Wiki

• 1. Routes métropolitaines in nicematin.com

  2. La numérotation des routes françaises. Le sens de la nomenclature dans une perspective géographique

6. Specific roads:

• 1. A41

  2. A51

  3. A65

7. A63 (N10)

• 1. A75

  2. Cofiroute A86 ouest

  3. A88

  4. A89

8. A150

9. N19 to be upgraded to A319

10. A466

11. A680

12. Other pages within this site:

• 1. N19

13. N154/N12

• 1. Road sign colours

  2. Europe

  3. Mayotte

  4. New Caledonia

  5. Motorway route list

14. National roads route list

15. Description of kilometerage system and sections

• 1. Motorways and expressways km Fusion table with 14243 points

  2. One digit A roads km co-ordinates csv 2277 points

  3. Two- and three-digit A roads km co-ordinates csv 9570 points

  4. Expressways km co-ordinates csv 2396 points

16. Pictures:

• 1. A33 west including N4 Lunéville bypass

  2. A35 positive

  3. A35 negative

  4. N4 east

  5. N4 west

  6. N19 east

  7. N19 west

Marcel Monterie

DOM-TOM (Departements d'outre-mer et territoires d'outre-mer)

Most French overseas departments have their own N and D roads, with 1-digit N numbers and 1- to 3-digit D numbers. The only motorway number is the A1 in Martinique.

Overseas territories mostly do not have road numbers. New Caledonia has a different road numbering system and Mayotte has CCT numbers.