A toll-free toll road, a first in France

The A79 motorway remains toll-paying but adopts a “free flow” system that eliminates toll barriers, offering many advantages.

Paying for your highway without going through a toll booth may seem like an utopia, but it already exists. This system, called free flow highway, operates in several European countries like Spain and Austria, as well as in the United States. Now, it is arriving in France for the first time.

The A79 motorway switches to free flow

Alizé, a subsidiary of the Eiffage group, is launching the first free flow motorway in France. It operates on the A79, between Sazeret (Allier) and Digoin (Saône-et-Loire), over a stretch of 88 km. This system has only been authorized since 2019, through the Mobility Orientation Law (LOM).

According to the highway concessionaire, the free flow system offers several advantages. Among them, and due to the constant speed, it is noted:

• Lower fuel or electricity consumption;
• Smoother traffic flow;
• Fewer traffic jams;
• Reduced travel time;
• Less land artificialization.

How does it work?

To bypass toll barriers, Alizé has installed six gantries that read license plates or electronic toll badges. There are two main situations: 

• Having a Telepeage badge, to be automatically billed afterward;
• Without a badge.

Without a badge, payment must be made, and there are three options to do so:

• At one of the 16 payment terminals available at rest areas;
• Register your license plate and credit card on the website for future billing;
• Drive then pay online within 72 hours after the trip.

For the last option, simply visit Aliaé’s official website.

Also read: The EU wants a charging station every 60 km on highways