 Improvements to the A47 will continue between Givors and Saint-Chamond after the A45 opens, much as was already done above Saint-Chamond, when Saint-Étienne was selected as a site for matches of the 1998 FIFA World Cup.The Lyon - Saint-Étienne route is one of the major routes of the Rhône-Alpes region.The A7 experiences very heavy traffic, 94,900 vehicles a day in 2004.