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Périphérique
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The most famous of these is the ''Périphérique'' around Paris , a frequently congested stretch of 8-lane Dual Carriageway , which, unusually, is limited to 80 km/h (50 mph), does not feature a Hard Shoulder , and gives priority to entering vehicles. It was built in the early 1970s on the empty space left abandoned after the destruction of the defense wall of Paris in the 1920s, and completed on April 25 , 1973 . It is the generally-accepted boundary between the city proper (approx. 2 million inhabitants) and the suburbs (more than 8 million inhabitants), as it's built along Paris administrative limit (excluding Paris heliport and the outlying woods of Boulogne and Vincennes ).

The ''Périphérique'' is administered by the City of Paris government.


In numbers

  • road

  • --- total length: 35.04 km (21.8 miles)

  • --- surface: 1,380,000 m&2

  • bridges, exchangers, surroundings

  • --- 156 off on- and off-ramps, total of 54 km and 380,000 m&2

  • --- 6 exchangers, 44 access points

  • --- 300,000 m&2 service pavement

  • protections, greenery, boards

  • --- 24 noise shields, totalling 51,100 m&2 on 14 km

  • --- 110 km of concrete and metal railings (being suppressed)

  • --- 440,000 m&2 of greens or woods

  • --- 10,000 trees

  • --- 550 advertisement boards

  • population and inconveniences

  • --- 100,000 inhabitants live alongside it

  • --- 40% in Trench es, including several covered sections (especially those of the Bois De Boulogne and Bois De Vincennes ), elevated on 50%, and terrain-level on the remaining 10%; 30% are in tunnel, covered or shielded by noise shields;

  • crossings

  • --- 148 bridges above it

  • --- 17 Métro lines, 66 roads, 4 pedestrian bridges, 3 pedestrian tunnels cross it.

  • equipment

  • --- 38,490 light sources

  • --- 99 CCTV cameras

  • --- 166 emergency call booths

  • --- 199 counting stations, 759 sensors

  • --- 324 variable display panels

  • 10,600 incidents per year (64% breakdowns, 33% Accident s and 3% miscellaneous)

  • construction cost (1973 value): 305 million Euro , paid for 40% by the State, 40% by the City and 20% by the District.

  • traffic statistics

  • --- traffic in 2002: between 1.1 and 1.2 million vehicles per day: 89% light vehicles, 7% trucks, 4% motorbikes; 25% of the traffic in Paris.

  • --- average trip: 7 km

  • --- average speed on working days (7 h-21 h): 43 km/h (26 mph)

  • --- Speed Limit : 80 km/h (50 mph)



Peculiarities

French people most often refer to the Paris ''Périphérique'' as "''le Périph''" (IPA: /perif/). France 's anglophone community occasionally refers to it as the "Périfreak", attesting to the many accidents and thick traffic formerly associated with it. However, permanent automatic speed cameras have been set up on the ''Périphérique'' since 2002, and cases of excess speed driving as well as mortality have considerably decreased in the space of two years. Visitors who have not driven in Paris since 2002 are often surprised at the new driving behaviours on the ''Périphérique'' when they return to Paris.

Although the Parisian beltway is controlled-access for its entire length, all standard road maps do not show it as a true Freeway ( Autoroute in French) because of its substandard construction; instead, it is depicted as a kind of Expressway or super- Arterial . It is notorious for its sharp curves, sharp grade changes, low tunnels, and short ramps. It does have an innovative feature where sensors in the road detect traffic speeds, and overhead electronic signs display the projected travel time to the next two or three exits.


Exits on the ''Périphérique''



TOULOUSE

There is also a ''Périphérique'' in Toulouse , which was completed in the early 2000s, and which circles around the center of the metropolitan area of Toulouse.


SEE ALSO