The A20 autoroute or L'Occitane is a highway through central France. A part of France's national network of autoroutes, it is long. Regions Crossed The road travels through the areas of Occitania, Limousin and Midi-Pyrénées. It starts at Vierzon in Cher and finishes in the south at Montauban in Tarn-et-Garonne. However further sections between Orléans and Vierzon (A71) and Montauban-Toulouse (A62) could be renamed the A20 in the not too distant future. L'Occitane is free from Vierzon to Brive-la-Gaillarde via Limoges. The operating companies are ASF between Cressensac and Montauban, DDE in the department between Vierzon and Nespouls. The road crosses the following departments Cher, Indre, Creuse, Haute-Vienne, Corrèze, Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne History The motorway was proposed to reduce the travel time along the RN20 and to avoid congestion during holiday periods at Châteauroux, Argenton-sur-Creuse, Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, Limoges, Uzerche, Brive, Souillac, Cahors and Montauban. Route From Vierzon to Martel The motorway is managed by the respective DDE in Cher, Indre, Creuse, Haute-Vienne, of Corrèze and Lot. It is a free motorway with 2x2 lanes, with certain sections with 2x3 lanes, for example the by-pass of Limoges. History Pre 1992: The Brive and Limoges by-pass. 1992 to 2000: creation of the various sections of the motorway Future In the long term, a new by-pass for Limoges is proposed (The A20bis project), in order to return the section of the A20 motorway which crosses the Limoges conurbation to its original planned use as a major urban road. Junctions A71 to A20 Péage 05 (Vierzon-North) to 1 km: served city Vierzon 06 (Vierzon) to 3 km: served city Vierzon 07 (Vierzon-South) to 6 km: served city Vierzon 08 (Massay-Nord) to 9 km: served city Massay (half-exchanger) 08 (Massay-South) to 15 km: served city Massay (half-exchanger) 09 (Gracay) to 23 km: served city Gracay Service Area: Champs-d'Amour 10 (Vatan-Nord) to 28 km: served city Vatan (half-exchanger) 10 (Vatan-Sod) to 32 km: served city Vatan (half-exchanger) 11 (Brion) to 42 km: served cities Brion, Levroux and Issoudun Rest Area: Les Avionneurs (Southbound), Les Avionneurs (Northbound) Les Blés d'Or (Southbound) 12 (Déols) to 54 km: served cities Déols and Châteauroux 13 (Châteauroux) to 60 km: served cities Châteauroux and Buzançais 13.1 (Mézières-en-Brenne) to 64 km: served cities Châteauroux and Mézières-en-Brenne (half-exchanger) 14 (Châteauroux-Sud) to 67 km: city served Châteauroux Service Area: Mille Étangs (Southbound), Val de l'Indre (Northbound) 15 (Velles) to 75 km: served city Velles 16 (Tendu)