A72 autoroute

{{Infobox road |country = FRA |type = A |route = 72 |alternate_name = |map = Autoroute A72 - plan.png |e-road= |length_km=55 |terminus_a={{jct|country=FRA|E|70|A|89}} in Nervieux |junction= |terminus_b={{jct|country=FRA|N|88}} in Saint-Étienne }} thumb|right|The A72 Eastbound in the steep section of the motorway. The '''A72''' is an autoroute (motorway) in France. It is {{convert|55|km|mi}} long.

The motorway is operated by ''Autoroutes du Sud de la France'' (ASF) and links Balbigny to Saint-Étienne on one of the steepest and meandrous motorways in France. Over {{convert|35|km|mi|abbr=on}} of the motorway is limited to 110 km/h (70 mph) as sections are considered too dangerous for the standard 130 km/h (80 mph) speed limit.

The motorway has 2 lanes both directions with 3 lane sections near Saint-Étienne.

The road is also numbered the European route '''E70'''. In 2006, the section between Clermont-Ferrand and the A89 spur became part of the '''A89'''.

==List of exits and junctions== {| class="plainrowheaders wikitable" |- !scope=col|Region !scope=col|Department !scope=col|Junction !scope=col|Destinations !scope=col|Notes |- |rowspan="18"|Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes |rowspan="18"|Loire |'''17px|link=|alt= A89 - A72''' |Clermont-Ferrand, Thiers, Roanne, Lyon (A6) | |- |'''{{Motorway exit|6 : Feurs}}''' |Feurs, Boën | |- |colspan="3" style="text-align:center| {{Motorway service|Aire de la Plaine du Forez}} |- |'''{{Motorway exit|7 : Montrond}}''' |Montrond-les-Bains, Montbrison | |- |colspan="3" style="text-align:center| {{Motorway rest|Aire de Chante-Perdrix ''(Southbound)''}}<br>{{Motorway rest|Aire des Chaninats ''(Northbound)''}} |- |colspan="3" style="text-align:center| {{Motorway toll|Péage de la Veauchette}} |- |'''{{Motorway exit|8 : Andrézieux-Bouthéon}}''' |Thiers, Roanne par RD, Montrond-les-Bains, Veauche, ''15px|alt Saint-Étienne-Loire Airport'' Andrézieux-Bouthéon |Entry and exit from Saint-Étienne |- |'''{{Motorway exit|9 : La Fouillouse}}''' |Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert, La Fouillouse, ''15px|alt Aéroport de Saint-Étienne-Loire'', Opéra Parcs, Autres Zones | |- |'''{{Motorway exit|10 : Saint-Etienne - ouest}}''' |Saint-Étienne, La Fouillouse, Firminy, Annonay, Le Puy-en-Velay, Villars, ''Bellevue'', ''15px|alt Hôpital Nord'' | |- |'''{{Motorway exit|11 : Saint-Priest-en-Jarez}}''' |Saint-Étienne, Saint-Priest-en-Jarez | |- |'''{{Motorway exit|12: Saint-Étienne - La Terrasse}}''' |Saint-Étienne - centre, Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, Villars, L’Étrat | |- |'''{{Motorway exit|13 : Saint-Étienne - Montreynaud}}''' |Saint-Étienne, ''Technopole'' | |- |'''{{Motorway exit|14 : La Talaudière}}''' |Saint-Étienne, La Talaudière, Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, Zénith-Cité du Design, ''Z. I. Molina'' | |- |'''{{Motorway exit|15 : Saint-Etienne - Méons}}''' |Saint-Étienne, Sorbiers | |- |'''{{Motorway exit|16 : Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds}}''' |Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds, Monthieu, Terrenoire | |- |'''17px|link=|alt= RN 488 - A72''' |Saint-Chamond, Valence, Lyon (A7) | |- |'''{{Motorway exit|17 : Saint-Étienne - Monthieu}}''' |Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds, Saint-Étienne, Centres Commerciaux | |- |'''17px|link=|alt= RN 88 - A72''' |Le Puy-en-Velay, Annonay, Firminy, Saint-Étienne - Autres-Quartiers | |- {{jctbtm|exit|}}

==External links== {{Attached KML|display=title,inline}} *[http://saratlas.free.fr/index.php?page=autoroute&route=a72&lang=en A72 autoroute] in Saratlas

A72