Andorra:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Andorramap.png/738px-Andorramap.png

CG-2:
1. Coming out of the tunnel from France. (toll, but avoids the busy Pas de la Casa)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3432/3215314333_550189f35f_b.jpg

2. The whole route from France to Spain through Andorra is generally one big descent.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3345/3216166152_c5c6bfae77_b.jpg

3. Curvy road, but in good conditions. A bit unsafe downhill because you easily go too fast.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3412/3215314973_52c4acdd80_b.jpg

4. Andorra consists mostly out of hotels and insufficient parking space.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3490/3216167026_ede6bcd8ac_b.jpg

5. Town of Soldeu.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3518/3216167280_f616a7fed4_b.jpg

6. Weird median, I didn't know what to do with it...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/3216167518_e5c1df7b9f_b.jpg

7. Distances are short, and with decimals.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3255/3216168606_d8eb66b22d_b.jpg

8. Overhead sign.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3442/3216170212_a53bf171d3_b.jpg

9. Capital Andorra-la-Vella
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/3215318995_f0b9a8aa94_b.jpg

10. Electronic signs and tidal wave lanes.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3477/3216171066_dcb3b9cca9_b.jpg

11. Center lane can be used in either direction, depending on traffic flow.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3080/3215319663_4778c3a8e5_b.jpg

12. We're on the CG-1 now.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3419/3215320123_be555a8ae8_b.jpg

13. Bidirectional lane.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3216172168_3447e642b2_b.jpg

14. Repsol gas station. Gasoline was € 1,05 in summer 2008, while they were at € 1,65 in NL at the time.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3467/3216172378_eb9c8e360c_b.jpg

15. 4-lane undivided highway.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3122/3216172778_12fcce9dc6_b.jpg

16. A lot of gas stations here considering the amount of population. Gas in Spain is also fairly cheap though. France has more expensive gas.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3440/3215322089_b3f123958b_b.jpg

17. Shopping center.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3216174138_fc5bff39dd_b.jpg

18. Approaching the Spanish border.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3518/3216174696_bddbdb0fff_b.jpg

Very nice country, and good road :)

Is it true that Andorra only has one main road through the whole Country? Nice photos btw :)

Nice pics, Chris :) What currency was used in Andorra before they started using the Euro? They are also not an official member of the Euro zone, right?

Yeah, those pics are nice (though I've seen them before :D ) and roads in Andorra are great! :)

What currency was used in Andorra before they started using the Euro? They are also not an official member of the Euro zone, right?

The used to use the French Franc and the Spanish Peseta. They don't have an own currency.

Is it true that Andorra only has one main road through the whole Country?

Yes, the CG-1/CG-2 axis is the only main road, though there are some other roads with numbers, I thought up to CG-5, but those are secondary and dead-end roads.

What does CG mean?

Carretera General I think...

Yeah, those pics are nice (though I've seen them before :D )

Hear hear! :D And I agree, the main axis looks great. I like the red color on the signs, and everything looks so clean. Where's Radi to comment? :D

It's probably not that difficult to drive every single road in Andorra :D

According to CIA World Factbook Andorra has 270 km (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/an.html#Trans) of roads. You can do that in a few hours. :D

Nice signage. The red background under the most important destinations (France, Spain, the capital) is brilliant :) I definitely want to visit this country.

So how many kilometers of motorways do they have? I guess even Poland has more :lol:

There are no motorways nor expressways in Andorra. Not really necessary too. The country has a population of only 72,000 of which only 23,000 live in the capital.

So how many kilometers of motorways do they have? I guess even Poland has more :lol:

:D

Very beautiful country, I love the mountains that rise up almost vertically from all directions :)

I always think of a country in Africa when I hear the name 'Andorra'. :nuts:

Maybe b/c of Angola? :lol:

Andorra

dor means dry in Dutch ;)

Five killed after bridge collapses in Andorra (http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_23821.shtml)
By m.p. - Nov 8, 2009 - 11:22 AM
Another six workers were injured when the structure under construction gave way

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/spain/uploads/3/andorrabridgecollapse.jpg

Five people have died and another six have been injured after a bridge under construction in Andorra collapsed on Saturday morning, trapping construction workers beneath the rubble. Some 100 square metres of the structure came down shortly before noon on Saturday as fresh concrete was being poured on the bridge which is being built at the western exit of the Dos Valiras tunnel near Massana.

Four bodies had been located by Saturday evening while a fifth man was rescued alive, but seriously injured and suffering hypothermia, at around 1am on Sunday. He however died shortly after being admitted to hospital.

35 construction staff were working at the site when the accident happened and it’s understood that most of the 11 workers affected by the tragedy are from Portugal. Work was continuing at the scene on Sunday to recover the victims’ bodies.Video (http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_23821.shtml)


Bad accident for such a small country.

^^ It's the third accident in that tunnel. The first one happened in March 2007, the second one was in April 2009 and also a Portuguese worker died in each. RIP.

I posted those photos a long time ago, in my Andorra la Vella thread in cityscapes, about those u/c tunnels and the bridge near Andorra la Vella. Do you know if will be a motorway?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3646/3601564724_e72e708dea_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/delgadotenorio/3601564724/

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3608/3600753245_83242637df_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/delgadotenorio/3600753245/

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3600751939_0853ac1403_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/delgadotenorio/3600751939/

Interesting, do you have a map?

I haven't noticed such a construction when I was in Andorra in august 2008.

I'd love to visit Andorra, I wonder how it differs between Spain and France.

When I was there, I thought it was more Spanish than French... The signage is the same, and Andorra is geographically more connected with Spain (valley) than France (high mountain pass).

yeah, and language - they speak catalan with spanish accent, not with french. it is definitely more under spanish influence

Interesting, do you have a map?

I haven't noticed such a construction when I was in Andorra in august 2008.
Actually nope... i will search it (google maps) and then to post it here...

Chris, i cannot find any news/data about this u/c road or motorway. Anyone knows about that project?

I think it's supposed to be a bypass of Andorra-la-Vella from France towards the ski areas around La Massana, most likely in the form of a tunnel in the proximity of Andorra-la-Vella.
As you probably know, the capital is located in a narrow valley that is completely urbanized. From what I see on Google Earth it looks like CG-3/4 from Andorra to la Massana is being duplicated, but the imagery is not clear and 6 years old.

Interesting, do you have a map?

I haven't noticed such a construction when I was in Andorra in august 2008.According to flickr it's the "Túnel dels Dos Valires":
http://www.feec.org/Images/Varis/tunnel.gif
-> http://www.feec.org/Noticies/noticia.php?noti=2521
and
http://www.trebisate.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=135&Itemid=249&lang=en

And in German:
Die folgenden Zeilen sind lediglich wichtig für das Ziel Vall Nord (bzw Valira Nord, also La Massana, Ordino), solange sich der neue 2 Röhren-Tunnel (Tunel dels dos Valires) zwischen Encamp-Süd und La Massana noch im Bau befindet. Dessen Fertigstellung ist projektiert für 2009. Der Schwerverkehr läuft derzeit noch durch Engordany.
-> http://www.lutz-meyer.com/reise/andorra-ankunft.htm

^^ Thanks for the info; according to the site the consrtruction will be complete at 2010

I've been in Andorra in late 2007 (before first snowfall). Awesome place, loved it, save for the expensive parking.

However, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of good road access (or airport or rail access, for that matter) to Andorra. I was driving from Italy, so no big deal, but I guess Andorra is shortchanged among the other European microstates (Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Vatican, Monaco and San Marino), when it comes to access to the European road network.

What do you think of the possibilities of widening the remaining 2X1 sectors of the N20 down from Foix and joining them with a possible new section of the C-16 in Spain north from Berga? Of couse another eastward 2X2 (even if non-motorway) connection with Perpignan would be awesome, but I can live without that.

The fact is: as it stands today, Andorra is quite isolated from the rest of Europe, and the potential of the Principalitat (new developments, more banking and tourism etc.) must be unleashed by better connections!

Once, I proposed a motorway connection with Spain. An extension of Spanish A-27 via the new C-14 (cutting a bit), and then N-260 and N-145 to the E/AND border. From there it would continue to Andorra la Vella, and it would be called simply A.
But forumer Vilarrubla thinks that would be better a 3rd lane for N-145. Traffic jams on that road are incredible...

I've been in Andorra in late 2007 (before first snowfall). Awesome place, loved it, save for the expensive parking.

However, I was deeply disappointed by the lack of good road access (or airport or rail access, for that matter) to Andorra. I was driving from Italy, so no big deal, but I guess Andorra is shortchanged among the other European microstates (Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Vatican, Monaco and San Marino), when it comes to access to the European road network.

What do you think of the possibilities of widening the remaining 2X1 sectors of the N20 down from Foix and joining them with a possible new section of the C-16 in Spain north from Berga? Of couse another eastward 2X2 (even if non-motorway) connection with Perpignan would be awesome, but I can live without that.


The C-16 - A66 conection is on the works... kind of.... According to France and Spain by 2020 they will be conected by a motorway and it will be possible to travel from Barcelona until Toulousse via Puigcerda (very near Andorra) on motorway saving 100 km from the current option (via Perpignan). Trust is works are very slow. As far as I know currently they are only working on the planning stages of the motorway upgrade of the Berga-Cadi Tunnel section on Spain and the construction of a good road to bypass Puigcerda and connect with France's N20 on La Tour de Carol (local newspapers mentioned the agreement between Spain and France to build this new road early this year).

Official Road Map of Andorra in PDF format (6 MB):

http://www.mot.ad/docs/ctres45k_llista_300dpi.pdf

When did they create the CG-5 and 6?

Were these roads refurbished?

Here is a recent photo of those tunnels in Andorra. For the information i 've got connects CG-1 and CG-2:
http://i.imgur.com/95Gmn.jpg

Not CG-1 and CG-2 but CG-2 and CG-3.

I explain...

As you will see in the road map, all roads are considered they start in the government building at the city of Andorra la vella.

Road CG-1 goes south through Spanish border.
Road CG-2 goes north east through French border.

Tunnel will connect northern Andorra la vella (and Escaldes) with the roads to the interior of the country (north west). This is CG-2 and CG-3.

Furthermore... the road that goes from Sant Julia de Loria to Os de Civis could be one of the few roads out of Schengen treaty with no kind of police control in both sides.

Os de Civis is in Spain but as you will see in the map, going anywhere requires to cross twice Andorra. There are not any control to go there because they know that anyone going there will require to come back in the same road.

That's tragic, wow.-

When did they create the CG-5 and 6?

Were these roads refurbished?

CG-5 and 6 were created on Febrary 21st, 2005. Here's the law 7/2005: http://www.bopa.ad/bopa.nsf/c56341fced070c89c12566c700571ddd/8ce9299e1dcbff3cc1256fcd002754e3?OpenDocument

Later, on July 2007, a decree renamed secundary roads (Carreteres Secundàries). Note that CS-1xx roads are branches of CG-1, CS-2xx of CG-2 and so on. Here the decree: http://www.bopa.ad/bopa.nsf/c56341fced070c89c12566c700571ddd/bf1843efd628541fc125732a001fdb69?OpenDocument

off-topic.....

it is an official Andorran government document and...it is signed by Seu d'Urgel bishop and by French republic president.


why?... Andorran history...

Yes, they have two heads-of-state, which is somewhat unique in the world.

What is funny, they have a town named Anyòs, which (save for the accent, which should be an "aigu") means mother-in-law in Hungarian ... :-D

^^ Switzerland (and a few other countries in the past) has more than one head of state.

Yes, they have two heads-of-state, which is somewhat unique in the world.

What is funny, they have a town named Anyòs, which (save for the accent, which should be an "aigu") means mother-in-law in Hungarian ... :-D


It is because a church related to Sant Cristofol d'Anyos (Saint Christopher).

"NY" should be pronounced like "GN" in French or Italian



^^ Switzerland (and a few other countries in the past) has more than one head of state.


Yeah... but they have two different head of state... being one of them the bishop of the area and the other one the president of the republic. They make that since a long time ago and assures them to be in peace with both countries.

On the other hand, Spanish and French police and army can enter in the country depending of situation. Andorra has not own army.
That happened in the early 20th century several times and I do not know anytime later.

Being one of the head of state a bishop makes that it is the second most catholic country all over Europe after Vatican city (you can read some of their laws and they are, at least, curious).

Túnel de les Dos Valires finally opened today after 7 years of works. It is a 2910-m, twin-tube tunnel that will relieve Andorra La Vella from traffic going from Encamp to La Massana.

Press release from the Andorran government:

http://www.govern.ad/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=3894:el-cap-de-govern-inaugura-el-t%C3%BAnel-de-les-dos-valires&Itemid=32

There is a plate in that elevated roundabout that remembers the 7 workers that died during the construction of the tunnel.