through the Champagne region, whose wines are loved by the British. In addition it passes near the sites of the most famous battles fought by the British Army in World War I, such as Arras, Cambrai and the Somme and not far from Ypres and Mons in Belgium. It also passes sites of earlier UK interest such as Crecy and The Field of the Cloth of Gold. A35 is called l'Alsacienne or autoroute des Cigognes (Storks' motorways)as it passes only through the historical region of Alsace, for whom storks are a cultural symbol A36 is called la Comtoise after the region Franche Comté A40 is named the autoroute blanche (white motorway) as it connects the French winter resort towns and the Alps. The A61 and A62 are named autoroute des deux mers (the two seas motorway) because these roads connect the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea from Bordeaux via Toulouse to Narbonne. A68 is called autoroute du Pastel because it leads to Albi and to the Lauragais where woad was cultivated to produce pastel. A71 is called L'Arverne. A75 is called La Méridienne. A77 is called Autoroute de l'Arbre. A84 is called Autoroute des Estuaires. It is part of the main route between Belgium and Spain, avoiding Paris. A104, one of Paris's beltways, is also known as La Francilienne because it circles the region of Ile-de-France. Administration The status of motorways in France has been the subject of debate through years, from their construction until recently. Originally, the autoroutes were built by private companies mandated by the French government and followed strict construction rules as described below. They are operated and maintained by mixed companies held in part by private interests and in part by the state. Those companies hold concessions, which means that autoroutes belong to the French state and their administration to semi-private companies. Vinci controls around of motorway. The different companies are as follows: ALIS (SEM, SAPN 8%, Bouygues 20.2%, Ixis 26%, DTP Terrassement 13.44%), operating the A28 Rouen-Alençon 125 km, Alis, official site SAPRR (Autoroutes Paris-Rhin-Rhône), 1801 km, SAPRR, official site AREA (Société des Autoroutes Rhône-Alpes, SAPRR Subsidiary at 99.82%), 381 km, AREA, official site ASF (Autoroutes du sud de la France), 2325 km, ASF, official site (bought by vinci-autoroutes.com Vinci) ATMB Autoroutes et tunnels du Mont-Blanc, 107 km, ATMB, official site CEVM (Viaduc de Millau, groupe Eiffage), 2.5 km, CEVM, official site Cofiroute (Compagnie