Boulevard Périphérique of Paris, Ring road in Paris, France
The Boulevard Périphérique is a ring motorway in Paris that encircles the capital over 35 kilometers with four lanes in each direction for clockwise and counterclockwise travel. The route alternates between bridges, open cuts, and tunnels, separating the inner arrondissements from the surrounding metropolitan area.
Planning for the ring began in the 1950s along the demolished Thiers wall, which had previously marked the boundary of the city. Construction ran from 1958 to 1973 and followed a plan to ease traffic on inner city routes.
The layout of the roadway shows old social divisions, with underground sections in wealthy areas and elevated portions in working-class districts. This structural split still shapes how people perceive the boundary between the inner city and its surroundings.
Since October 2024, the speed limit stands at 50 kilometers per hour (31 miles per hour), with one lane reserved for public transport, carpools, taxis, and emergency vehicles. Traffic flows clockwise on the outer carriageway and counterclockwise on the inner carriageway.
Every day more than one million vehicles use the ring, making it the busiest road connection in Europe. Average travel time for a full loop can exceed two hours during rush periods.
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