A7 motorway (Netherlands)

Last updated

NL-A7.svg
A7 motorway
Rijksweg 7
Rijksweg7.svg
Location of the A7 motorway
Route information
Part of NL-E22.svg E22
Major junctions
West end NL-A8.svg A8 in Zaandam
East end Bad Nieuweschans
Bundesautobahn 280 number.svg A 280 border with Germany
Location
Country Kingdom of the Netherlands
Constituent country Netherlands
Highway system

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.

Contents

Motorway interruptions

The motorway A7 is interrupted twice:

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. A7-groningen-tijnje-004.jpg
Westbound N7 near Groningen.
Interruption of the A7 in Groningen. Julianaplein w.jpg
Interruption of the A7 in Groningen.

Speed limit experiment

The A7 runs under the Duvelsrak viaduct in Sneek Duvelsrak viaduct.JPG
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
Netherlands North Holland Zaanstad 42.5NLD-S151.svgNLD-S155.svg S 151 west / S 155
53.1NL-A8.svgNL-E22.svg A 8  / E22 northeastWest end of E 22 overlap
74.32NLD-N515.svg N 515 west
Wormerland 116.83Oosterdwarsweg
Purmerend 148.74Laan der Continenten
159.35NLD-N235.svg N 235 east / Zuiddijk
17116NLD-N244.svg N 244
Koggenland 29187NLD-N243.svgNLD-N247.svg N 243 southwest / N 247 south
Hoorn 32208Provincialeweg
34219NLD-N307.svg N 307 east (Westfrisiaweg)
Medemblik 362210NLD-N241.svg N 241 west (A.C. de Graafweg) / Tender
392410aTuinstraat / Broerdijk
432711NLD-N239.svg N 239 (Dijkweg)
Wieringermeer 503112NLD-N242.svg N 242 southwest (Alkmaarseweg)
553413NLD-N240.svgNLD-N248.svg N 240 west and south / N 248 south
Wieringen 644014NLD-N99.svg N 99 southwest (Rijksstraatweg)
IJsselmeer / Wadden Sea Afsluitdijk
Friesland Súdwest Fryslân 10163NL-A31.svg A 31
1016315
1056516Weersterweg
1106817NLD-N359.svg N 359  / Oude Rijksweg
1127018Kloosterlaan
1157119Tsjaerddyk / Hottingawei
1187320State AsWest end of N7 road designation
1197421NLD-N354.svg N 354 south (Lemmerweg) / Lemmerweg
1197421aAkkenwinde / SelfhelpwegWestbound exit and eastbound entrance only
1207522NLD-N354.svg N 354 northeast / Oppenhuizerweg / Lorentzstraat / Burgemeester RasterhofflaanEast end of N7 road designation
Skarsterlân 1338323Woudfennen
13685NL-A6.svg A 6 southwest / Geert Knolweg
1408725De Dolten / Nije Fjildwei
Heerenveen 1428826Wetterwille / Weinmakker / Nije FjildweiWestbound exit and eastbound entrance only
14489NL-A32.svg A 32
1479126aZestienroeden / Pastoriesingel
Opsterland 1529427NLD-N392.svg N 392 (Koaibosk)
1589828Beetserweg
Smallingerland 16110029Zuiderhogeweg
16510330NLD-N381.svg N 381 south
16510330aNLD-N31.svg N 31 northwest
Opsterland 17011031NLD-N358.svg N 358 northwest (De Scheiding) / De Scheiding
Groningen Marum 17610932NLD-N980.svg N 980 north (Noorderweg) / Noorderweg / Noorderringweg / Parallelweg
18011033NLD-N388.svg N 388 north (Boerakkerweg) / Boerakkerweg
Leek 18411434NLD-N372.svgNLD-N978.svg N 372 south (Oude Postweg) / N 978 north (Oude Postweg) / Pasop / Blinkweg / Lage Traan / Kapteynlaan
Groningen 19111934aWestpoortboulevard / MatslootSouthern exit lies partially in Noordenveld, Drenthe
19312035NLD-N372.svg N 372 south (Ruskenveen) / Zuiderweg / Roderwolderdijk
19612236NLD-N370.svg N 370 north (Laan 1940-1945) / Jan Evert Scholtenlaan / Laan Corpus Den Hoorn / Paterswoldseweg / MuntinglaanWest end of N7 road designation
19612236aNLD-N370.svg N 370 northWestbound entrance only
197122NL-E232.svgNL-A28.svg 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
204127NLD-N46.svg N 46 northwest (Beneluxweg)
20512739EuropawegEast end of N7 road designation
Hoogezand-Sappemeer 21313240NLD-N386.svg N 386 southwest (Rengerslaan) / Rengerslaan / A.B. Nobellaan
21513441NLD-N385.svgNLD-N387.svg N 385 south (Kerkstraat) / N 387 north (Provinciale Weg) / Rijksweg West / Rijksweg Oost / Knijpslaan
21813542Noordbroeksterstraat / Rijksweg oost
Menterwolde 22213843Kerkstraat / Europaweg / Burgemeester Omtaweg
22413944NLD-N33.svg N 33
Oldambt 23014045NLD-N362.svg N 362 north (Rijksweg) / Rijksweg
23214446NLD-N964.svg N 964 south
24015047NLD-N367.svgNLD-N966.svgNLD-N967.svg N 367 south (Oostereinde) / N 966 northeast (Oostereinde) / N 967 north
24615348 Ulsda / Ulsderweg / Heeresloot
25115649Hamdijk
Netherlands / Germany
country line
Groningen / Lower Saxony
province line
Reiderland / Bunde
municipality line
European Road 22 number DE.svgBundesautobahn 280 number.svg 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

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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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