The many-named RN10 between Bordeaux in south west France and the Spanish border is getting a major upgrade, including another new name, an extra lane and some shiny new toll booths.

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RN10 is called the Route de la Côte Basque because it links the Spanish and French Basques regions, and Le cimetière des Portugais because it was so hazardous for Portuguese migrants back in the day.

Most famously it’s part of Autoroute des Estuaires which crosses the Garonne, the Loire, the Seine and the Somme on its way around France to Belgium – avoiding Paris – dating from when the ‘Royal Netherlands’ was ruled by Spain.

It’s also part of the north-south European route E05 from Greenock to Algeciras, and the east west E70 from La Coruña to Poti on the Black Sea.

The dual carriageway RN10 has historically been free to use to because Les Landes, the corner of south west France it runs across – landes means moorland – is sparsely populated with few roads as alternatives.

We used it in 2006 on a 1,000km marathon from Biarritz to Calais. It was a bit scruffy even then. In desperate need of an upgrade since it‘s a major commercial route, a deal to upgrade the road was done with a private operator in 2011. The new road – now the A63 – opens in May, six months ahead of schedule.

For the first time it will be tolled. To sweeten the pill it will be half price for the first six months – €3.15 to travel the whole 104km – while drivers using exits between the two toll booths will not be charged.

When the third lane opens next January the full charge applies. Even then it will be cheap by French standards at €0.6 per km. Avoiding the toll between Bordeaux and the Spanish border means diverting through Mont de Marsan (see map below) and an extra 80km.

Interestingly, despite Vinci operating all other roads in the region – including the existing A63 which tops and tails the new road – the contract has been awarded to a start-up operator, Atlandes. One of the shareholders is the interestingly named HSBC European Motorways Fund 1.

Other news: The French have overhauled laws governing car sharing. Drivers are only entitled to cover their costs not make a profit – though costs could include insurance, depreciation, tyre wear, etc. Also, a ban on smoking in cars when children are present is under discussion, as in the UK. It is already illegal in Cyprus with Ireland expected to follow suit soon.