European route E34

Last updated
Tabliczka E34.svg
E34
European route E34
Major junctions
West end Zeebrugge, Belgium
East end Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
Location
CountriesFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of Germany.svg  Germany
Highway system

European route E34 forms part of the United Nations International E-road network. It connects Zeebrugge, the major seaport of Bruges, with Bad Oeynhausen, a German spa town located beside the River Weser at the eastern edge of North Rhine-Westphalia. At Bad Oeynhausen the E34 links to the E30, a major pan European east-west artery. It also passes, relatively briefly, through the Netherlands, following the southern by-pass of Eindhoven. Within Germany the route follows from south-west to north-east the full length of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Contents

E34 near Kamen, looking east. A2ost.jpg
E34 near Kamen, looking east.
E34 tunnel under the canal that connects Ghent with the Western Scheldt. SnelwegE34TunnelZelzate.JPG
E34 tunnel under the canal that connects Ghent with the Western Scheldt.

History and name

By the early 1990s the western portion of the route, between Antwerp and the coast, was a dual carriageway with frequent intersections, the more busy of which were controlled by traffic lights and marked by 90 kilometres per hour (56 mph) speed limits. Starting at the Antwerp end, this part of the E34 has more recently been progressively upgraded with junctions either eliminated or else replaced by motorway-style intersections. The road is still of sub-motorway quality between the coast and Zelzate, but to the east of the road tunnel under the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal, the upgrade is virtually complete. The upgrade from National road to Autoroute quality has been reflected in a name change, from N49 to A11: in terms of national road numbers, as long as the upgrade remains incomplete, the two names are currently used interchangeably or together (N49-A11) when referring to the full length between Antwerp and Zeebrugge. In Belgium the E route numbers are given prominence at least equal to nationally assigned road numbers, so that in practice the road may be marked, using all three names, as the N49-E34-A11. Locally the road is often referred to more simply as the expressway (de expresweg).

In 2014 a wildlife crossing named Kempengrens was realised over the E34 at the Belgian/Dutch border at Postel. [1]

Congestion

The route skirts Antwerp using the southern R1 inner ringroad which includes the Kennedy Tunnel: this is closed to vehicles with certain classes of dangerous loads. These are required to divert onto the northern R2 outer ringroad. To address the resulting delays, and because the inner southern ring route itself frequently becomes seriously congested, a northern inner ring road for Antwerp is being planned.

The German portion of the E34 passes across the northern side of Germany's Ruhr industrial belt. Most of the road, which is currently being progressively upgraded, is now a six lane (three in each direction) highway. Access points are relatively close together in this section and the route - especially the section between Duisburg and Dortmund - is prone to delays resulting from traffic congestion.

Route

E34 Zeebrugge - Bad Oeynhausen
StateNational
Road
Number
SectionJunction
(national numbering)
Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Belgium.svg Flag of Flanders.svg

......Province
West Flanders



East Flanders
Italian traffic signs - strada riservata ai veicoli a motore.svg N49 (A11) Zeebrugge - Zelzate




N49 (A11) Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 14 BE-R4.svg Zelzate
N49 (A11) Zeichen 327 - Tunnel, StVO 2006.svg Ghent–Terneuzen Canal
N49 (A11) Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 13 BE-R4.svg Zelzate
East Flanders





Antwerp
Italian traffic signs - autostrada.svg A11 (N49) Zelzate - Antwerp A11 (N49) Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 12 Moerbeke
A11 (N49) Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 11 Kemzeke
A11 (N49) Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 10 Vrasene
A11 (N49) Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg Beveren
A11 (N49) Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 9 Melsele
A11 (N49) Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 8 Waaslandhaven east
A11 (N49) Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 7 Sint-Anna Linkeroever (Left Bank)
Antwerp Italian traffic signs - autostrada.svg R1 Antwerp Southern Ringway R1 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg Tabliczka E17.svg E17 Antwerp west
R1 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 6 Linkeroever (Left Bank)
R1 Zeichen 327 - Tunnel, StVO 2006.svg Kennedy Tunnel (Scheldt River)
R1 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 5a South
R1 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg Antwerp centre
R1 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg Tabliczka E19.svg E19 Antwerp south
R1 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 5 Le Grellelaan
R1 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 4 Berchem
R1 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 3 Borgerhout
R1 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg Tabliczka E19.svg E19 Tabliczka E313.svg E313 Antwerp east
Antwerp Italian traffic signs - autostrada.svg A13 Antwerp east - Ranst A 13 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 18 Wommelgem
A 13 Zeichen 376.svg Zeichen 361-50.svg Ranst
A 13 AB-Vzw.svg Tabliczka E313.svg E313 Ranst
Antwerp Italian traffic signs - autostrada.svg A21 Ranst - Retie A 21 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 19 Oelegem
A 21 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 20 Zoersel
A 21 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 21 Lille
A 21 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 22 Beerse
A 21 Zeichen 376.svg Zeichen 361-50.svg Gierle
A 21 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 23 Turnhout west
A 21 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 24 Turnhout centre
A 21 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 25 Oud-Turnhout
A 21 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 26 Retie
Flag of Europe.svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg

......Province
North Brabant














Limburg
Nederlands verkeersbord G1.svg A67 Hapert - Venlo A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 29 Hapert
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 30 Eersel
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 31 Veldhoven-West (Planned)
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg Tabliczka E25.svg E25 De Hogt
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 32a High Tech Campus (Philips Research)
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 33 Waalre
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg Tabliczka E25.svg E25 Leenderheide
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 34 Geldrop
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 35 Someren
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 36 Asten
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 37 Liessel
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 38 Helden
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 39 Venlo
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg Zaarderheiken
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 40 Velden
A 67 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 41 Venlo (A 61 - German)
Flag of Europe.svg Flag of Germany.svg Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westfalia.svg

Land/District
KLE








WES




DU
Zeichen 330 - Autobahn, StVO 1992.svg A 40 Venlo - Duisburg A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 2 Straelen
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 3 Wankum
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 4 Wachtendonk
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 5 Kempen
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 6 Kerken
A 40 Zeichen 376.svg Zeichen 361-50.svg Neufelder Heide
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 7 Neukirchen-Vluyn
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 8 Moers Tabliczka E31.svg E31
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 9 Moers centre
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 10 Duisburg-Rheinhausen
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 11 Duisburg-Homberg
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 12 Duisburg Hafen (Port)
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 13 Duisburg
A 40 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 14 / A 3 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 14 Kaiserberg  Tabliczka E35.svg E35
OB Zeichen 330 - Autobahn, StVO 1992.svg A 3 Duisburg - Oberhausen A 3 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 13 Oberhausen-Lirich Tabliczka E35.svg E35
A 3 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 12 Oberhausen west
A 3 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 11 Oberhausen-Holten
A 3 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 10 / A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 1 Oberhausen Tabliczka E35.svg E35
OB



BOT










RE







DO







UN



HAM






WAF






GT



BI



LIP



HF






MI
Zeichen 330 - Autobahn, StVO 1992.svg A 2 Oberhausen - Bad Oeynhausen A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 2 Oberhausen-Königshardt
A 2 Zeichen 376.svg Zeichen 361-50.svg Pfeil unten.svg
A 2 AB-Vzw.svg 3 Bottrop
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 4 Gladbeck - Ellinghorst
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 5 Essen & Gladbeck
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 6 Gelsenkirchen - Buer
A 2 Zeichen 376.svg Zeichen 361-50.svg Pfeil oben.svg
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 7 Herten
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 8 Recklinghausen
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 9 Recklinghausen south
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 10 Recklinghausen east
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 11 Henrichenburg
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 12 Dortmund North-west
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 12 Dortmund-Mengede
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 13 Dortmund North-east
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 14 Dortmund-Lanstrop
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 15 Kamen
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 16 Kamen Tabliczka E37.svg E37
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 17 Bönen
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 18 Hamm
A 2 Zeichen 376.svg Zeichen 361-50.svg
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 19 Hamm-Uentrop
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 20 Beckum
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 21 Oelde
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 22 Junction closed
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 23 Rheda-Wiedenbrück
A 2 Zeichen 376.svg Zeichen 361-50.svg
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 24 Gütersloh
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 25 Bielefeld
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 26 Bielefeld - Sennestadt
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 27 Bielefeld centre
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 28 Ostwestfalen / Lippe
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 29 Herford / Bad Salzuflen
A 2 Zeichen 376.svg Zeichen 361-50.svg
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 30 Herford east
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnausfahrt.svg 31 Vlotho - Exter
A 2 Sinnbild Autobahnkreuz.svg 32 Bad Oeynhausen Tabliczka E30.svg E30

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References

  1. "Monitoring van het ecoduct Kempengrens, acht jaar na de aanleg ervan (T8)". vlaanderen.be (in Dutch). September 2023. Archived from the original on 29 February 2024.