A7 motorway (Netherlands)

The A7 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands connecting Zaandam, via the Afsluitdijk, Sneek and Groningen to the German border near Bad Nieuweschans. The entire road is part of the European route E22, with exception of the first kilometer, between the terminus in Zaandam and the interchange Zaandam. The total length is 236 km.

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A7 motorway
Rijksweg 7
Location of the A7 motorway
Route information
Part of E22
Major junctions
West end A8 in Zaandam
East endBad Nieuweschans
A 280 border with Germany
Location
CountryKingdom of the Netherlands
Constituent countryNetherlands
Highway system

Motorway interruptions

The motorway A7 is interrupted twice:

  • Around Sneek, the road is demoted to a highway for several kilometers, and includes some at-grade intersections The at-grade intersections were replaced with grade-separated intersections in 2008–2010. However, it isn't a motorway.
  • Also, around the city of Groningen, it is demoted over a distance of several kilometers, mainly for the at-grade intersection with motorway A28, and for the road's small alignment through the city in general.

Both of the abovementioned sections are denoted as N7 to distinguish those parts from the motorway, for which the A designation is used in the Netherlands. The A7 together with the N7 is called the Rijksweg 7.

Westbound N7 near Groningen.
Interruption of the A7 in Groningen.

Speed limit experiment

The A7 runs under the Duvelsrak viaduct in Sneek

From March 2011, on a section of the A7 motorway, motorists were allowed to drive at 130 km/h (80 mph), opposed to the then national speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph). This was a government test to investigate if driving at these higher speeds have an effect on the environment and safety. The test resulted positively, and the national speed limit was raised to 130 km/h (80 mph) in October 2012.

Afsluitdijk

The A7 runs across a historic part of Dutch engineering, the Afsluitdijk. This dam was originally created to protect the country's long interior coastline from floods by creating a large freshwater lake. The road over the Afsluitdijk was previously a 2-lane N road, but is now a proper motorway; the upgrade to motorway was achieved by utilising the dike's unused railway reservation for the second carriageway. Its midpoint is near the village of Breezanddijk. The former State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment, Joop Atsma, issued a statement detailing the factors influencing the decision to build a new naviduct on the Afsluitdijk section of the A7 at Kornwerderzand. A naviduct and new locks was costed at €200–450 million, depending on the size of locks and size of highway. A naviduct would give waiting time annualised benefits €13 million to road traffic, based on the existing bridge opening 7,000 times a year. Cost–benefit analysis of all potential solutions were considered, and a naviduct could be built to replace the locks when they reach the end of their useful life in 2050.[1]

Exit list

CountryProvinceMunicipalitykmmiExitDestinationsNotes
NetherlandsNorth HollandZaanstad42.5 S 151 west / S 155
53.1 A 8 / E22 northeastWest end of E 22 overlap
74.32 N 515 west
Wormerland116.83Oosterdwarsweg
Purmerend148.74Laan der Continenten
159.35 N 235 east / Zuiddijk
17116 N 244
Koggenland29187 N 243 southwest / N 247 south
Hoorn32208Provincialeweg
34219 N 307 east (Westfrisiaweg)
Medemblik362210 N 241 west (A.C. de Graafweg) / Tender
392410aTuinstraat / Broerdijk
432711 N 239 (Dijkweg)
Wieringermeer503112 N 242 southwest (Alkmaarseweg)
553413 N 240 west and south / N 248 south
Wieringen644014 N 99 southwest (Rijksstraatweg)
IJsselmeer / Wadden SeaAfsluitdijk
FrieslandSúdwest Fryslân10163 A 31
1016315
1056516Weersterweg
1106817 N 359 / Oude Rijksweg
1127018Kloosterlaan
1157119Tsjaerddyk / Hottingawei
1187320State AsWest end of N7 road designation
1197421 N 354 south (Lemmerweg) / Lemmerweg
1197421aAkkenwinde / SelfhelpwegWestbound exit and eastbound entrance only
1207522 N 354 northeast / Oppenhuizerweg / Lorentzstraat / Burgemeester RasterhofflaanEast end of N7 road designation
Skarsterlân1338323Woudfennen
13685 A 6 southwest / Geert Knolweg
1408725De Dolten / Nije Fjildwei
Heerenveen1428826Wetterwille / Weinmakker / Nije FjildweiWestbound exit and eastbound entrance only
14489 A 32
1479126aZestienroeden / Pastoriesingel
Opsterland1529427 N 392 (Koaibosk)
1589828Beetserweg
Smallingerland16110029Zuiderhogeweg
16510330 N 381 south
16510330a N 31 northwest
Opsterland17011031 N 358 northwest (De Scheiding) / De Scheiding
GroningenMarum17610932 N 980 north (Noorderweg) / Noorderweg / Noorderringweg / Parallelweg
18011033 N 388 north (Boerakkerweg) / Boerakkerweg
Leek18411434 N 372 south (Oude Postweg) / N 978 north (Oude Postweg) / Pasop / Blinkweg / Lage Traan / Kapteynlaan
Groningen19111934aWestpoortboulevard / MatslootSouthern exit lies partially in Noordenveld, Drenthe
19312035 N 372 south (Ruskenveen) / Zuiderweg / Roderwolderdijk
19612236 N 370 north (Laan 1940-1945) / Jan Evert Scholtenlaan / Laan Corpus Den Hoorn / Paterswoldseweg / MuntinglaanWest end of N7 road designation
19612236a N 370 northWestbound entrance only
197122 E232 south (Julianaweg) / A 28 / Emmaviaduct / Hoornsediep
19812337Hereweg
19812337aMeeuwerderbaan / Europaweg / WinschoterdiepWestbound entrance and eastbound exit only
19912438Europaweg / Bergenweg / Lübeckweg / Osloweg / Euvelgunnebrug / Gotenburgweg / Kieler Bocht / Skagerrak
204127 N 46 northwest (Beneluxweg)
20512739EuropawegEast end of N7 road designation
Hoogezand-Sappemeer21313240 N 386 southwest (Rengerslaan) / Rengerslaan / A.B. Nobellaan
21513441 N 385 south (Kerkstraat) / N 387 north (Provinciale Weg) / Rijksweg West / Rijksweg Oost / Knijpslaan
21813542Noordbroeksterstraat / Rijksweg oost
Menterwolde22213843Kerkstraat / Europaweg / Burgemeester Omtaweg
22413944 N 33
Oldambt23014045 N 362 north (Rijksweg) / Rijksweg
23214446 N 964 south
24015047 N 367 south (Oostereinde) / N 966 northeast (Oostereinde) / N 967 north
24615348Ulsda / Ulsderweg / Heeresloot
25115649Hamdijk
Netherlands / Germany
country line
Groningen / Lower Saxony
province line
Reiderland / Bunde
municipality line
E22 / A 280 eastBorder with Germany; this road continues as the German A280; east end of E 22 overlap
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. Atsma, Joop (3 July 2012). "Toezegging naviduct Afsluitdijk" (PDF) (in Dutch). Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu. Retrieved 2 August 2013.

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