A12 motorway (Netherlands)

The A12 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. The road connects the city of The Hague with the German border, near Zevenaar, and the German Autobahn BAB 3. On its way, it crosses three Dutch provinces: South Holland, Utrecht, and Gelderland.

A12 motorway shield}}
A12 motorway
Rijksweg 12
Location of the A12 motorway
Major junctions
West endThe Hague
East endLobith
Location
CountryKingdom of the Netherlands
Constituent countryNetherlands
ProvincesSouth Holland, Utrecht, Gelderland
Highway system
Interchange motorway A12 (km 6, mi 3,7) to A4 motorway via 5 bridges: Knooppunt Prins Clausplein

European routes

The A12 motorway runs along with parts of three major European routes:

  • The European route E30 follows the A12 between interchange Prins Clausplein near The Hague, and interchange Lunetten, just southeast of the city of Utrecht.
  • The European route E25 runs along the A12 between interchange Gouwe near Gouda, and interchange Oudenrijn, just southwest of Utrecht.
  • The European route E35 follows the route of the A12 from interchange Oudenrijn towards the German border.

The A12 near The Hague

A12 as highway in The Hague.

The section of the A12 road within the city of The Hague (near exits 1, 2 and 3) is actually not a motorway, but a highway. This part of the road, known as the Utrechtsebaan, is too narrow to meet the Dutch requirements for a motorway (for example, it does not have a shoulder), and is therefore a highway with a maximum speed of 70 km/h.

To block local traffic from using this heavily congested part of the road, exits 2 through 4 are built as incomplete exits. These exits only feature westbound exits and eastbound entrances, so they can only be used by interlocal traffic. Local traffic is therefore forced to make use of the available local roads.

'Branding' controversy

In 2008, a government programme on route branding, under an umbrella project in urban planning, put stickers on all streetlights of the A12, citing efforts to give it a "route 66-like" allure. This plan, dubbed the "regenboogroute" (rainbow route), received news coverage because of its alleged trivial results (stickers on streetlights) and high costs (€120 000).[1]

A12 blockade

The Utrechtsebaan has been the location of numerous blockades by the climate group Extinction Rebellion. With daily blockades taking places since 9 September 2023. They block the road to demand the end of fossil subsidies.[2]

Exit list

CountryProvinceMunicipalitykmmiExitDestinationsNotes
The NetherlandsSouth HollandThe Hague10.621 N 44 northeast (Benoordenhoutseweg) / S 101 (Zuid Hollandlaan / Benoordenhoutseweg) Wassenaar, Scheveningen
21.22Juliana van Stolberglaan / Prins BernhardviaductWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
The Hague / Leidschendam-Voorburg
municipality line
31.93SchenkkadeWestbound exit and eastbound entrance only
Leidschendam-Voorburg53.14 S 108 southwest (Maanweg) / Prins Bernhardlaan Rijswijk, VoorburgWestbound exit and eastbound entrance only
The Hague63.7 E19 / E30 / A 4West end of E 30 overlap
74.35Donau / Koning Willem-Alexanderviaduct
Zoetermeer138.16Zuidweg / AfrikawegEastbound exit and westbound entrance only
169.97 N 470
Lansingerland18118 N 209
Zuidplas23149 N 219
Waddinxveen2717 E25 / A 20West end of E 25 overlap; eastbound entrance and westbound exit only
291811 N 452
Bodegraven-Reeuwijk332112 N 459
352212a N 11Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
392413Molendijk / Verlengde Tuurluur
UtrechtWoerden462914 N 204
513214a N 419
Utrecht543415 N 198 / N 228
5735 E25 / E35 / A 2East end of E 25 overlap; west end of E 35 overlap
593716Papendorpseweg
AmsterdamRhine CanalGalecopperbrug
UtrechtUtrecht603717Europalaan
613818 N 408 south (Laagravenseweg) / Waterlinieweg Nieuwegein, Utrecht
6239 E30 / E311 / A 27East end of E 30 overlap
BunnikDe Forten rest area
Eastbound exit and entrance only
Bunnik684219 N 229 south (Schoudermantel) / Baan van Fectio Bunnik, Odijk
Utrechtse Heuvelrug714420 N 225 east (Hoofdstraat) Driebergen, Zeist
774821 N 227 Maarn, DoornEastbound exit and westbound entrance only
815022 N 226 (Woudenbergseweg) Maarsbergen, Woudenberg, Leersum
Bloemheuvel rest area eastbound
Oudenhorst rest area westbound
Renswoude / Veenendaal
municipality line
925723 N 418 north (Nieuweweg-Noord) / Rondweg-West Veenendaal
Utrecht / Gelderland
province line
Veenendaal / Ede
municipality line
1046523a N 233 south (Rondweg-Oost) / Rondweg De Klomp – Veenendaal
GelderlandEde10766 A 30 north Ede
1096824 N 781 south (Dr. W. Dreeslaan) – Ede, Bennekom
Buunderkamp rest area eastbound
't Ginkelse Zand rest area westbound
1207525 N 224 (Verlengde Arnhemseweg / Amsterdamseweg) – Ede, Arnhem
Arnhem12175 A 50 south HeelsumWest end of A50 overlap
De Schaars rest area
Westbound exit and entrance only
12880 A 50 north (Delhuijzenweg) BeekbergenEast end of A50 overlap
1298026 N 784 (Apeldoornseweg) – Arnhem
13483 A 348 east (IJsselweg) / N 325 west (IJsseloordweg) Rheden, Arnhem
IJsselIJsselbrug
GelderlandDuiven1368527 N 338 east (Rivierweg) Lathum, Westervoort
1388628 N 810 south (Noordsingel) Duiven
Oudbroeken rest area eastbound
Aalburgen rest area westbound
Zevenaar1438929 N 813 east (Nieuwe Steeg / Tatelaarsweg) / N 336 (Doesburgseweg) Didam, Zevenaar
14791 A 18 east – DidamEastbound exit and westbound entrance only
1499330 N 812 (Beekseweg) Babberich, Beek
2theloo rest area
Northbound exit and entrance only
E35 / A 3 east – Babberich, EltenBorder with Germany; this road continues as the German A 3; east end of E 35 overlap
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ad.nl
  2. "Politie beëindigt blokkade A12 van Extinction Rebellion". nos.nl (in Dutch). 2023-09-11. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
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