Route nationale 202

Route nationale 202. The Route nationale 202 was a former national highway in southern France, located entirely within the department of Pyrénées-Orientales. It connected the mountainous border town of Bourg-Madame near Spain to the major urban center of Perpignan on the Mediterranean coast. Decommissioned in 1972, its route has been largely integrated into the departmental road network, specifically as the RD 618.

History

The road was formally created by a decree in 1933, classifying it as part of the French national road network. Its primary historical function was to provide a vital transport link from the Cerdanya valley, a strategic border region, to the prefectural capital of Perpignan. Following the broader reform of the national road system initiated by the French government in 1972, responsibility for the highway was transferred to the departmental council of Pyrénées-Orientales. This transfer was part of a nationwide effort to decentralize road management, similar to the reclassification of routes like the Route nationale 7 and Route nationale 20. The roadway's infrastructure was subsequently downgraded and renumbered, with its alignment becoming part of the departmental road system.

Route description

Beginning in the west at Bourg-Madame in the Pyrenees, the road initially traversed the upper Cerdanya plateau, passing through the towns of Ur and Enveitg. It then descended through the scenic Têt Valley, following the course of the Têt River eastward. The route passed significant landmarks including the fortified city of Mont-Louis, a Vauban fortress, and the spa town of Vernet-les-Bains near the foot of Mount Canigou. Further east, it served the important agricultural and wine-producing areas around Prades and Ille-sur-Têt. The final segment crossed the fertile plain of Roussillon before terminating at a junction with the former Route nationale 9 on the western outskirts of Perpignan, near the Têt River's confluence with the Mediterranean Sea.

Major junctions

The western terminus was in Bourg-Madame at the international border with Spain, connecting to the Spanish road network. A key junction occurred at Mont-Louis, providing access to the Route nationale 116 leading towards Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via. Near Prades, the route intersected with the former Route nationale 618, which led south towards the Pyrenees and the border at Col de la Perche. In the eastern plains, it crossed the historically significant Route nationale 117 (now the A9) near Perpignan. The eastern terminus was a direct junction with the former Route nationale 9, the major coastal artery between Perpignan and Narbonne.

Gallery

* The road traversing the Cerdanya plateau near Bourg-Madame. * The Têt Valley corridor viewed from the route near Vernet-les-Bains. * The approach to the Vauban citadel of Mont-Louis. * The former routing on the western entrance to Perpignan.

Notes and references

Category:Transport in Pyrénées-Orientales Category:Former national roads in France