Club Arnage

In a fit of typical French beureaucracy, the N138 is soon to be no more >:(.  The Sarthe Department has taken over maintenance of many "National" routes in 72 and they are therefore to be re-designated as D  roads (the letters at the front denoting whom is responsible for their upkeep).  The process is currently underway and by the summer, the N138 south of Alencon will become the D338; the N23 will become the D323; the N438 the D338 bis, amongst others. So beware when you are travelling down.

How sad - another little link with the past bites the dust, bowling down the N138, windows open, waving back at the locals, following in the footsteps of Jaguar, Aston Martin and the likes....I supose there is another D138 somewhere that stopped them just doing the obvious and changing the letter at the front of it.  But at least the road will still be there, even if the number is changing.   

MG Mark

Mmmmm bl**dy typical. I've only just bought a new French road atlas as well (just to keep an eye on where the sat nav takes us). Termie - is there anywhere on the web where the corresponding Department numbers can be found? I mainly use the N157 as we travel in from the East of LM.

There's pretty much a pattern, so I'd expect that to turn into the D357 but I'll see what I can find.

If I might quote old Bill, surely this is a case of 'A rose by any other name........' ;D

Exactly, as Mark says the road's the same.
Parts of the N138 were re-numbered last year. Others parts are to be re-numbered this year. Michelin used to put a warning on their atlas saying "don't rely on road numbers" when there was a lot of re-numbering going on throughout France, but my current atlas doesn't seem to have one.
In France roads are classified and numbered according to whether their upkeep is national, departmental or communal. I doubt that the names of the towns on the road signs will change, so map reading shouldn't be too difficult. The Rouen - Abbeville road near where I live used to be the A28, but it's been the D928 for years now.
The old 138 is a road I used to use a lot, and had stretches which had very high accident rates. I'm very happy that the new motorway has taken a lot of traffic away from the old road and made it safer.

too bad for the t-shirt guy too :-\

I get the logic Christopher - I mean, what else are they going to spend our taxes on? - but the N138's a bit of history.  Pity.

A sad loss, but its only a name really, we shall continue to call it the N138.

Road numbers do not seem to be on any French road signs (until you hit the motorways), which is my excuse for getting lost, but there were a long string of milestones with N138 on them.  Please, no vandalism, don't even think of taking one home in June, let the council throw them away.

It will always be the N138 to me, even if I rarely use it these days. I'm sorry to say the Commer prefers the Payeage, it's flatter and allows easier cruising and far fewer gear changes. Used it coming back from the Classic though and gave the Scooby a right old pasting up to Sees, just for old time's sake you understand.

There used to be one 5km South of Beaumont la Sarthe. I will have to post a picture of it my garden ;D

Right.  That's it.  I'm going to write a strongly worded letter to Peter Mandleson.  >:(

Whether it achieves anything or not, the stream of invective spilling from your keyboard or pen will surely make you feel much, much better.....

Last couple of years, I've tended to use the new motorway for getting there but gone back up the N138 for old times sake as far as Alencon before picking up the motorway for the run up to Rouen and Calais.

MG Mark

Do you use the road or not? do you know your way down or up this road or not? Is the same bars or cafes on the road or not?
Is it still the N138 to the brits or not?
then not to these firkin sat navs which will look for the N138 which aint numbered any more but will sure get you lost ......or not
pass you all soon on the N138 like i always do no matter what you drive..