Route nationale 9

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The Route nationale 9, or RN9, is a trunk road (nationale) in France between Moulins in the Loire Valley and the frontier with Spain.

[edit] Moulins to Clermont Ferrand (0km to 127 km)

The road begins at Moulins with a junction with the RN7. The road heads Southwest over the River Allier. The road follows the West bank of the river to Saint-Pourçain-sur-Soule crossing the river and following it South. At Gannat the road meets the A719 autoroute, which connects Vichy, 20 km to the East, and the A71 autoroute. The RN9 continues South to Riom and the volcanic region of Auvergne. The road is dual-carriageway for 10 km into the industrial city of Clermont-Ferrand.

[edit] Clermont Ferrand to Pézenas (127 km to 408 km)

After Clermont the road has been upgraded to A75 autoroute and heads through the beautiful countryside of the Massif Central. The old RN9 has been renumbered to RD909 and RD809 and still passes along its old course through small villages and towns now bypassed by the autoroute. The road follows the upper Allier valley to Issoire before joining the Gorges de l'Allagnon and then climbing to cross the Col de Fageole (1114 m) and onto Saint-Flour and the Gorges de l’Ander. The old RN9 then follows the banks of the dammed River Truyéres under the Viaduc de Garabit.

The countryside is very scenic comprising of rolling green wooded hills and steep sided river vallies. The road has a junction with the RN106 at Saint-Chély-d'Apcher. The road then crosses the Col des Issartets (1121 m) after which the RN9 reemerges to the East of the autoroute to Marvejols and the Lot valley. The road then enters Causse country a series of barren limestone plateaux divided by deep river valleys. The road passes between the Causse de Sévérac and Causse de Sauveterre before reaching Sévérac-de-Château and the RN88 which heads to the West.

The road passes the Source of the Aveyron and into the Parc Natural Régional des Grandes Causses. After crossing the Col d'Engayresque (888 m) the RN9 drops into the Gorges du Tarn and onto Millau where the road crosses the river and climbs up to the Caussee du Larzac. The Autoroute A75 crosses the valley on the spectacular Viaduc de Millau. The countryside is now barren and sun baked.

At the Pas de l'Escalatte just South of le Caylar Roches the road enters a gorge leading South of the Massif Central and onto the coastal plain and the Mediterranean. The road passes to the East of Lodève and the Lac du Salagu before reaching Clermont L'Hérault and a junction with the RN109 to Montpellier. The A75/RN9 however follows the L'Hérault Valley to Pézenas.

[edit] Pézenas to Spain (408Km to 544km)

At Pezenas most through traffic takes the A9 autoroute (La Langedocienne) (European routes E15 and E80). The RN9 is being upgraded to the A75 but heads across the flat countyside to Béziers. Here the road crosses the Canal du Midi and River Orb. The road continues over the river L’Aube to Narbonne.

Therafter the road heads along the Étang de Bages et de Sigean as the mountains push further East. The road is overlooked here by the Massif de Fontfroide and thereafter heads through the vineyards of Fitou. The road passes round the shores of the Étang de Leucate ou de Salses.

The road enters French Catalonia at the Fort de Sales and enters the plain of Rousillon and Perpignan where it crosses the River Têt. The plain is dominated by mountains (the Pyrénées to the South and the Corbières to North). South of Perpignan the RN114 heads east to the Côte Vermeille and resorts such as Collioure.

The RN9, parallel to the Autoroute A9, crosses the Southern portion of the plain over the River Tech at Le Boulou and enters the Monts Albères which form the Eastern ridge of the Pyrénées. The road reaches the frontier with Spain at Le Perthus (271m). The road continues as the N-II in Spain with the Autoroute becoming the Autopista AP-7.

	French national roads (Main roads only)
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