France’s newest motorway (finally) set to open

Where is it?

The new two-lane 62km autoroute connects the city of Toulouse, in south-west France, to the Tarn town of Castres – which will lose its tag as the largest town in the country without a direct motorway connection when the A69 finally opens. 

Up to now anyone wanting to drive between the two conurbations has had to use the mostly one-lane RN 126.

Driving between Castres and Toulouse using the current route (dark blue) and the new A69 (pale blue). Map: Google Maps

The new road is expected to reduce the journey time between the two towns by between 25 and 35 minutes, depending on the traffic and the time of day.

Long-term plans

This is a very long-term project – the road, expected to open on Friday, November 6th – was first imagined back in the 1990s.

Plans gathered pace after the short dualled A680 opened connecting the RN126 to the A68, which connects Toulouse and Albi, but then stalled again due to strong opposition to the project from environmental groups. 

Environmental protests

Climate activist Greta Thunberg took part in a protest against the building of the motorway in February 2024.

Her presence raised the profile of a protest site outside Castres that has beeb the scene of a number of violent clashes during the years-long argument over the road.

The A69 has faced numerous challenges in the courts, all of which were struck down, though construction was halted for several months after one court cancelled important environmental permits.

The challenges continued even as construction was well underway, and at one point it appeared that the almost-finished road might not be able to open – in the end, however, all challenges were struck down and the completed section is now ready to open.

There will be no toll booths

The A69 will be one of just a handful of so-called ‘free-flow’ toll-paying motorways in France – and the first in the Occitanie region. 

That means no toll booths, and therefore no queues to join or get off the motorway. Instead, cameras placed on toll gantries at key points on the route will record vehicle licence plate numbers as they pass, which will in turn allow operator Atosca to calculate how much is owed in tolls. 

Drivers will then have to logon to the website later and pay their tolls or – for regular users – register for an account so that payment is automatically taken.

READ ALSO How will the toll system work on the new A69 motorway in south western France?

So how much will it cost to use?

That depends on how far you want to travel along it, how often you use it and how environmentally friendly your vehicle is.

For a driver using only part of the motorway, the tolls are as follows:

• €1.80 between Castres and Soual Est
• €1.90 between Soual Est and Puylaurens
• €2.80 between Puylaurens and Maurens-Scopont
• €2 between Maurens-Scopont and Verfeil

When travelling the full length of the motorway, including the €1.70 toll for the A68 section, the cost of a one-way trip between Castres and Toulouse is €10.20.

However, tolls will vary depending on the vehicle category. For the entire journey between Castres and Verfeil, motorbike users will pay €5.10 each way. The fare will reach €12.90 for certain vans, motorhomes, and vehicles with high trailers, and €19.10 for Class 3 heavy goods vehicles.

On the other hand, low-emission vehicles benefit from a 20 percent reduction. For a class 1 electric or hydrogen car, a complete one-way journey will cost €6.80. Regular users, meanwhile, will be able to access other discounts.