It is expected that most roads will remain as nationales, but those under local authority control will be downgraded to départementales, something which has already happened a number of areas across France. It could see up to 30% of the current network downgraded.

However, as some regions and départements have refused to agree compensation packages with the State, not all of the planned downgrades will take place. This has led to some abrupt changes of road status at local authority boundaries!

On the autoroute front, projects continue, but most have been relatively small-scale: the A355 Strasbourg Bypass and the controversial A69 in the south of the country being the main projects. Upgrades of nationales have been the main approach - the A79 opening in 2022 and the impending A154 scheme being examples of "online" trunk routes being upgraded.

So where do we stand going forward? There are still projects in the pipeline, but a lack of enthusiasm towards road building is increasingly evident; most of the schemes approved by State committee in 2004 have since been abandoned.

The principal cause is funding, the State declaring there is very little money for transport schemes. But green attitudes have also contributed to a change in opinions, accelerated by the current climate emergency. Many politicians have instead pushed for greener options, despite many railway lines closing amidst low revenues and insuffient financial support - even new high speed railways, seen as a much more environmentally friendly option, have been pushed back by environmentalists.

Most new motorways are likely to be upgrades to existing roads, similar to the A79. Much of this is fairly simple to achieve, simply by improving junctions and other safety upgrades on existing expressways, without the need for massive land-take (if any). Whilst removing traffic from urban centres is a desire amongst many politicians, building bypasses to do so isn't universally popular.

Even though there are a few road and motorway projects involving entirely new routes, it is clear that the era of large scale road building is long gone.