the Netherlands
map:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi41.tinypic.com%2F102qjur.png&hash=2056e185dc3ee7984aaf2449235a2e8bb26c9a30)
The Netherlands is a small country on the North Sea. It has a population of 16.5 million on ~ 16,000 square miles, and thus has the same population density as the state of New Jersey. The Netherlands, however, does not have large cities, Amsterdam is the largest city with a population of 750,000. Western Netherlands is dotted with small to medium sized cities which together form the 8 million population metropolis of the "Randstad". It is a poly-centric urban area with a lot of rural areas in between, with no single city dominating.
The first freeway in the Netherlands opened in 1938, the A12 between Zoetermeer and The Hague. Within 4 years, a small freeway network was developed, mainly in western Netherlands. World War II prevented a nationwide freeway network at that time. The Netherlands was the first country in the world to feature shoulders on all freeways, except where it was deemed too expensive, such as in tunnels.
Just like the United States, the 1950's saw a surge in automobile usage, a trend which continued in the decades to come. By the 1960's, there was a comprehensive freeway network, which was expanded during the 1970's and early 1980's. The anti-freeway sentiment grew larger, and by the 1990's, people thought the solution to stop the growth of mobility was simple not to construct or widen freeways. The era between approximately 1990 and 2004 were very lean years in highway construction. However, mobility growth didn't stop, and traffic congestion got worse and worse, increasing by 10% every year. The 1990's also saw the first shoulder running going into operation, a system which have been expanded since.
Shoulder running was seen as a good solution to ease congestion during peak hours. However, population growth, demographic change and demographic shift still generated more and more traffic, making shoulder running a non-sustainable solution, as they had to open shoulders throughout the day. Rush hour times expanded, now beginning around 6 am to 10 am, and from 3 pm to 7 pm. The recession kicked in in late 2008, and what $ 10 per gallon gasoline didn't achieve, the economy did; reducing congestion. Congestion fell sharply during 2009 and is now back at the mid-2000's level.
Today, the Dutch freeway network is approximately 1,500 miles long, and is one of the densest networks in Europe. However, it has to be noted the Dutch non-freeway network remains extremely undeveloped considering population density, level of welfare and traffic volumes, making the freeway network very vulnerable, because there is no backup system at all. Once you're off the freeway, you'll get into a maze of two-lane roads, dotted with city limits, roundabouts, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, etc.
I will show some pictures in the next post.
signage
The signage features the Highway Gothic (Interstate) font, and is now in a transition to a different layout, however, the font will remain the same on freeways. The non-freeway font has been replaced by a smaller font with less spacing.
All the signs have a blue blackground with white letters. A-roads (freeways) have the prefix "A" (Autosnelweg) and then the number in a red square. Non-freeways have the prefix "N" (Niet-autosnelweg) and are in a yellow square with black numbers.
Two-digit roads belong to the national government and are called a "rijksweg". This means there are non-freeways as a "rijksweg" as well, but there are a limited amount of them. 3-digit roads belong to the provincial government, and numbers <400 are almost always signed, numbers >400 are rarely signed, but increasingly common. There are a few 3-digit freeways, which indeed fall under the authority of the provincial government.
All exits are numbered sequentially, but freeway-to-freeway interchanges are not numbered, because it is not considered an "exit to get off the freeway". Exit numbers can be suffixed with an "a" or "b", and are increasingly common due to added exits, required by new development. All exits have a unique name, and they tend to be better known by their name than by their number.
It has to be noted the average distance between two exits or interchanges in all of the Netherlands is approximately 2 miles. This means you usually have the next exit in sight within a minute of the last exit. The exit density is the highest in urban areas, and lowest in rural areas, although exits over 4 miles apart in rural areas are also rare.
Exits and interchanges are generally signed 1200 meters in advance, but if there is an entrance lane from a previous exit closer than that, shorter distances may be used. The word "afrit" means exit, but is now gradually being replaced by the exit symbol, as is the word "knooppunt", which is being replaced by the interchange symbol. Europe is a continent with a high amount of international traffic and many languages, thus symbols are generally better understood than textual signage.
I will show a signage sequence on a freeway-to-freeway interchange which also has a regular exit inside it.
1.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3221%2F3488258105_b3c7218667_o.jpg&hash=a7f7dc63aa6012dfa1f342944e7a3d7c45e617c3)
2.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3376%2F3489071610_9e557e3a0b_o.jpg&hash=6e2feaef4abb3cfa3fe7d88f28501ec91844c7d1)
3.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3539%2F3488258387_68bdfb5fa7_o.jpg&hash=07c03eb280ff44a372312be3ede1e6d533b84d56)
4.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3313%2F3488258545_66cc6b598c_o.jpg&hash=ca244c4b24c6a91159bbcfed46ff1f98ebf856a2)
5.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3375%2F3489072152_118ff3778d_o.jpg&hash=9684e2fe79c5768b2a48692ffaf6fa710e78acf4)
6.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3662%2F3489072284_a863717bf2_o.jpg&hash=ae6fe60e1488a27e8dc83f070ce6e8de53701ceb)
7.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3608%2F3489072456_505f473e12_o.jpg&hash=c9462cc1b6db4563e04c2e82ecbe15d8b337062b)
New signage
A new style of signage is being introduced in the Netherlands since 2008. It is more German-based, with standing arrows which are supposed to reflect the upcoming road layout better, especially in taper situations which are common in the Netherlands.
1. Note the exit symbol instead of the word "afrit".
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3349%2F3599264020_5d0899c5d1_o.jpg&hash=0a0a0c9d94c9fe8623e5b5771dcbb5f825edb2e9)
2.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3649%2F3599264080_9d066d298c_o.jpg&hash=eca179a0f27544c937558f2cc24f07f7ecb89392)
3. A major change is to place the distance sign after the exit. Previously, it was installed before the exit (300 m before), a major exception in Europe.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3568%2F3599264184_e4403da992_o.jpg&hash=40cd14a94835763cecb8f76b8588643bba42cba5)
Another set:
4. Note the new signage has an awful lot of breaks in place names, a major disadvantage.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2486%2F4080326054_9443d8904b_o.jpg&hash=777278fd9487bfcf7d73e277f7477c74e0f47823)
5.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2570%2F4079566559_84a990d5fd_o.jpg&hash=8ea63dbcd590537804e404ec630c3251d5226c8f)
6.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2749%2F4080326126_e70c8a50c9_o.jpg&hash=521ec18f8f54a013989a315726ea46a8a9ca4526)
7.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3535%2F4080326168_db088d2ec3_o.jpg&hash=51b99ce73f5678f94796fc4f66a66e8b152bd5b1)
Another set:
8. Interchange symbol. Dutch interchange names tend to be named after the tiniest villages, which may be confusing.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2555%2F3892875080_f038b7f336_o.jpg&hash=79d6c76db985ea7d87688535ed0c46807985f5fa)
9.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2518%2F3892875142_c3ef1d16d0_o.jpg&hash=b3ccddc71e3754a3317d2d47c2d0abbb8fb16340)
10. This should've been an overhead.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3432%2F3892875200_1d25c1c248_o.jpg&hash=5d6f6c62f37260220c50f36b7a7f6f523fc2d5c7)
Another set:
11. A left exit.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3459%2F3803045379_b56882e556_o.jpg&hash=e946005d96a75b044b99c6656ef039faa2036431)
12. there were roadworks at the time.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2504%2F3803045423_76ec486c8f_o.jpg&hash=078417d8e5f6cfdf69cf749b5cbda3d2d416e0c4)
13. Note the E-numbers on top.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2436%2F3803045487_448d4e9c9f_o.jpg&hash=b00ca907776fcace68d5c29f948527df22abc9ba)
14.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2652%2F3803045557_58b748566b_o.jpg&hash=062c9faf59416df04b0fd31b9bdfe90b4cb26a2f)
I occasionally get on an overpass and make some pictures of Dutch freeways from above:
1. A1 eastbound near Amersfoort at noon. You can see the shoulder running is not in operation.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2529%2F4127390117_5bb4af7a0f_o.jpg&hash=023fd17fb109fe56a979716f57a118f58fc38df2)
2. A big zoom on A1 towards the west.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2557%2F4127390453_7b97004b52_o.jpg&hash=7ea91c5bc50f01b3619c8de417d8ce19aefabeb0)
3. A shoulder running observation camera. They close the shoulder if there is a breakdown or accident. (Or when traffic volumes are not high enough)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2580%2F4128162394_2bb7412f2f_o.jpg&hash=f391ab62f4fb60396f1f838438fe1a5a1582d073)
4. A28 looking towards my city, Zwolle around 11 am on a winter morning.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4071%2F4211051892_882515e1a5_o.jpg&hash=5b35c5fc2e821ad9a621f67c03fab6c381947747)
5. Looking at the western terminus of A28 near the town of Hoogeveen.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4049%2F4443307450_cce8ccc13a_b.jpg&hash=8c1bbc4094340a18637fa1220f3b8c95b143ee71)
6. top-notch blacktop on A37 east.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4006%2F4443315424_6501c22f13_b.jpg&hash=4d4ab8ad068ded69090576e67cad955f21b10f70)
7. Traffic congestion on A1 westbound near Deventer around 11 am.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3610%2F3426106929_6fb7abccb0_b.jpg&hash=e66e6a0ca94daad2100c96b19a984497b84742ee)
8. Looking east at the same spot.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3625%2F3426107433_1b58a8e7ac_b.jpg&hash=28b58af2617f0ae07b8b6bdb60fac1a6e8aa2289)
9. There was a minor traffic accident approximately 10 miles downstream of this location. This freeway is a major truck corridor.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3300%2F3426108669_78533d1368_b.jpg&hash=1ce28069751002d4539ce7535880378d44ee5ee3)
10. A1 freeway westbound near the town of Rijssen, eastern Netherlands, around noon.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3301%2F3651315806_787de3900b_b.jpg&hash=8de9d551c66a0131be6b2f17ea57ac9b6208866b)
11. A so-called "plus lane" on the left. It works the same as shoulder running, only the shoulder remains available. It's an example of weird Dutch rules where such a left lane is easier to construct than a regular lane.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3306%2F3650550415_926304210d_b.jpg&hash=3c203c5648bd022ad9e98ba9a6a5957e8e7c34d8)
12. Traffic observation camera on A1 between Deventer and Apeldoorn.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3357%2F3650556987_7196fac7c2_b.jpg&hash=206c9eb4e16e0b1282278fa6303db2c272c03d01)
13. A28 near the town of Nunspeet, central Netherlands, with it's wooded median.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3602%2F3418815672_8c666733f2_b.jpg&hash=c064cce2cc2ce14a339a9cd596023c72dd2a91bb)
14. Exit lanes in the Netherlands are designed at 1,000 feet long. I have never seen longer exit and entrance lanes than in the Netherlands.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3578%2F3418821610_c62fce57ff_b.jpg&hash=0423e1055d3c5ec2386e26a258e8bcc97460ab6c)
15. Looking at the empty A37 freeway near the German border east of Emmen. This is the quietest freeway in the Netherlands at 8,000 AADT.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2457%2F3622135741_7711d94ed9_o.jpg&hash=2bc34cdb3bf2a68c35ba626c616e4a0ea5676463)
16. Looking west.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm3.static.flickr.com%2F2427%2F3622136231_2b41dd8875_o.jpg&hash=0b3ee66054e963e9d3831a1afb46828c6a1bf01d)
I hope you liked the pics :cool:
Quote from: Chris on March 24, 2010, 11:04:36 AM11. A so-called "plus lane" on the left. It works the same as shoulder running, only the shoulder remains available. It's an example of weird Dutch rules where such a left lane is easier to construct than a regular lane.
What are these weird rules, precisely?
Well, basically, these "plus lanes" have (almost) the same width as a regular lane. However, due to procedures it takes too long to do a regular widening, so they had to come up with this solution of a plus lane which is only opened during rush hour. Some are restricted by traffic flow, but this one even used to be restricted by time; at 6.30 a traffic jam was occurring, but the plus lane wasn't supposed to be open until 7 am.
So if you drove from Deventer to Apeldoorn, there was a traffic jam from 6.30 to 7.00, then they open the lane and traffic flows again.
The average procedure for a road project (I mean actual procedures, not the time until politicians acknowledge a traffic problem) is 11 years. For example, many projects which are now under construction had their "startnotitie" (initial project documents) in the early to mid-1990's.
It goes like this;
Startnotitie => Trajectnota/MER => Ontwerp-tracébesluit => tracébesluit => tracébesluit onherroepelijk.
or in English:
initial notice => environmental impact assessment => design-record of decision => record of decision => irrevocable
Appeals can be made at every "=>"
A recent law-change made several projects eligible for the accelerated procedures, which can be done in half the time. This still means it takes 6 - 7 years of procedures. Many shoulder running of plus lane operations were constructed as a temporary measure, so a regular widening would follow a few years later. However, during early 2000's it became clear it wasn't "a few years" but rather "15 years".
Thanks for this explanation. I wondered if the "plus lane" concept worked in the Netherlands because it was a cheap form of widening which did not require the acquisition of new right-of-way. ROW acquisition tends to be the bright shining line between projects that can be built quickly and projects that require a protracted planning process, in Britain and also (to a somewhat lesser extent) in the United States.
A lot of major freeways constructed in the 1960's had a wide enough ROW to accommodate an extra lane in each direction in the median. Right now we may thank those engineers on our knees for such a futuristic design. The Netherlands is not like Wyoming where you can construct each roadway several hundred feet from each other, so any median wider than a space reservation for a 3rd lane is rare.
For example like this:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm4.static.flickr.com%2F3301%2F3651315806_787de3900b_b.jpg&hash=8de9d551c66a0131be6b2f17ea57ac9b6208866b)
Regarding the plus lane - if it's on the left then why isn't it marked as a regular lane? Even if it's slightly narrower than a regular lane if trucks are banned from the left lane where there's three lanes or more then cars should have no problem traveling at 120 in a narrower lane. We have narrow lanes here where all types of vehicles are allowed in them.
The plus lane is similar to how the Thruway does widening, except the Thruway allows the lane to be used all the time (though the one between Rochester and Canandaigua is restricted to cars; don't know about others).
The plus lane is exactly how IDOT widened I-55 in Will County (IL-53 to I-80). However, it is a lane meant to be used 100% of the time even with a smaller left shoulder than is usually found on most 3+ lane interstates. The reason for this was a lack of ROW and to fit the new lanes under existing bridges (some of which have been there since 1956 - pre-interstate!).
Well, a plus lane in the Netherlands is specifically meant to be in operation only during rush hours. This means shortened procedures can be followed, which allows for a faster implementation of this temporary measure. There are a number of locations in the Netherlands with plus lanes now, although the other temporary measure, shoulder running, is still more common.
What happens if you use the plus lane when there's an X on it? Not like they can pull you over if there's so much congestion you can't get to the right, and if the plus lane is about to be opened, they can't rightly put you over in the middle of it...
Driving on a closed lane (signed by a red X) simply will cost you 150 euro's when caught.
And given the fact of an overload of cameras watching the lane most people won't try...
What's so special about a lane being open only part of the day that allows it to skip steps in the design process? Will it magically be closed when the proper widening happens? Why not just make it open all the time? That would be the same as widening the road with a narrower lane.
It isn't open during night hours, and that makes it doesn't change noise contours during the "most sensible" hours. This has been the concept of a lex specialis (special law; "Spoedwet") in which shorter procedures were assigned to dedicated projects mentioned in the law's appendix.
It's more the legal concept than that it has anything to do with traffic or civil construction, you see.
Thanks for the clarification--this type of "special law" hasn't really been tried in the UK with regard to roads since the 1920's.
Was the option of keeping the additional lane open 24 hours but building soundwalls considered?
In traffic noise, the day is divided in Lden (Day, Evening & Night).
Day = 07.00 - 19.00
Evening = 19.00 - 23.00
Night = 23.00 - 07.00
The main problem is that the night period is highly representative in noise calculation, because it is mandatory to add 10 dB to the night period. Almost any road has the night period as representative this way, also because truck shares are higher during the night.
However, rush hour starts around 6.00 - 6.30 am. If the night period was shortened from 23.00 - 06.00, there wasn't such a problem.
But I doubt if adding a lane would really count as a "reconstruction" as described in the Dutch Noise Control Act (i.e. +2 dB). Doubling of traffic volumes usually results in +3 dB. Widening a road is not always a problem according to noise regulations, it is even possible to do this without significant noise mitigation, as long as the road itself isn't changed much (for example a new or significantly changed alignment).
The Netherlands goes U.S.A. :cool:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi50.tinypic.com%2Fx0vd09.jpg&hash=89ef115e1a6a68b27c139db93cdf9c5318d23956)
A2 freeway Amsterdam - Utrecht. Currently carries 180,000 vehicles per day but is scheduled to grow to 250,000 vehicles per day. It will be a 10-lane freeway for about 25 kilometers, and a local-express setup with as much as 14 lanes for about 5 km near Utrecht City.
Same location, 24 years ago:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcommondatastorage.googleapis.com%2Fstatic.panoramio.com%2Fphotos%2Foriginal%2F29230572.jpg&hash=618432e62051947f8247b0e08b938fdd4868ed68)
An at-grade railroad crossing on a motorway? 0.o
The Netherlands is finally shaping up with some modern up-to-date freeways.
For example, the A2 Amsterdam - Utrecht is being widened to 10 - 12 lanes. Here is a picture.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.xs4all.nl%2F%7Ekoef%2Fimages%2F20100618-154407-edit.jpg&hash=3934262799d8eb1d7fcd6837aa04b9343bfe9f9b)
The last picture seems to be somewhere around here (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.278924,4.953718&spn=0.010122,0.036049&t=k&z=16) heading north. It seems to follow the model of the M25 widening around London a few years ago with a 12 lane stretch between two closely spaced exits. I wonder if there was an alternative plan for C/D roads and a complexed series of ramps to avoid weaving? It seems weaving is a factor as the exit to the south has been remodeled from a diamond to allow the north facing ramps to be moved further south to increase the weaving section.
Abcoude is not the busiest interchange on this road, and exits are spaced quite far apart between Amsterdam and Utrecht, so it was not really useful to construct a local-express setup. Traffic volumes barely change between Amsterdam and Utrecht (a solid 250,000 AADT is projected for 2020).
250,000 AADT is bizarre for a rural freeway, but the A2 also serves traffic that would otherwise use the never-constructed A3 from Amsterdam to Rotterdam. It's kind of weird a 7.5 million metropolis that exists out of two main urban areas have only two freeways connecting both parts (A2 and A4). A4 is also a 10-lane freeway south of Amsterdam. By 2015, there will be a solid 40 lanes from and to Amsterdam directly. (A8, A4, A1, A2).
Quote from: Chris on June 21, 2010, 08:40:21 AM
Abcoude is not the busiest interchange on this road, and exits are spaced quite far apart between Amsterdam and Utrecht, so it was not really useful to construct a local-express setup. Traffic volumes barely change between Amsterdam and Utrecht (a solid 250,000 AADT is projected for 2020).
250,000 AADT is bizarre for a rural freeway, but the A2 also serves traffic that would otherwise use the never-constructed A3 from Amsterdam to Rotterdam. It's kind of weird a 7.5 million metropolis that exists out of two main urban areas have only two freeways connecting both parts (A2 and A4). A4 is also a 10-lane freeway south of Amsterdam. By 2015, there will be a solid 40 lanes from and to Amsterdam directly. (A8, A4, A1, A2).
What was the planned routing of that A3? Would have gone generally northward from the present day 'ghost' interchange at A16/A20, connecting with the A9 in the area of Amstelveen (I can easily see built-over RsOW on Google air images in both areas :banghead: ), or could one still be built as a shorter 'cut off', perhaps between the A12 on the east end of Woerden and the A2 at Breukelen?
That (Amsterdam-Rotterdam) has got to be one of the worst 'weak spots' in the entire European highway network. What is the most common routing for highway traffic between those two?
Mike
A3 was supposed to run from Amsterdam to Dordrecht, thus bypassing Rotterdam slightly to the east. The N3 expressway around Dordrecht is a left-over from this project. But it never really took off, apart from a ROW south of Amsterdam (which is now an urban development), it wasn't constructed.
The A16 near Rotterdam was supposed to run north, via Zoetermeer to the A4 near Leiden, creating an additional north-south route. Earlier plans also had an A22 running from north of The Hague to Haarlem. If those plans came into fruition, we would have 4 north-south routes in the Randstad metropolis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randstad) instead of two.
Widening the A2 to 10 lanes is an answer to the never-constructed A3 in my opinion. The A2 has an higher-than-average share of through traffic (that is, traffic that does not use one of the exits between Amsterdam and Utrecht).
Generally, the 21st century saw a resurrection of freeway projects. The last major freeways were constructed in the late 1970's, and during the 1980's the idea was not to construct any more freeways, so traffic wouldn't grow either. But this didn't quite worked out, and during the 1990's the idea was to create as much capacity as possible on existing roads (shoulder running), which led to an extremely saturated highway network, possible the most saturated in all of Europe. In the early 2000's, the finally saw that that didn't work either, and the only solution was a robust widening.
Right now, a large number of significant freeway overhauls are in advanced stages of planning and procedures;
* A1 Amsterdam - Almere: widening to as much as 12 lanes, with reversible lanes (7 lanes per peak direction)
* A1 Hilversum - Amersfoort: widening from 4 to 8 lanes.
* A2 Amsterdam - Eindhoven: widening to 8 - 10 lanes, mostly completed. Only Den Bosch - Eindhoven is missing (due in 2013).
* A4 Amsterdam - Rotterdam: completion of the 40-year missing link south of Delft, doubling of capacity near Leiden
* A5 new Amsterdam bypass (west side)
* A9 overhaul and realignment along the southern side of Amsterdam
* A10 widening to 10 lanes, and the construction of the second Coen Tunnel (busiest 4-lane freeway in NL at 120,000 AADT).
* A12 The Hague - Germany: a series of temporary and robust widening, to six lanes or more for almost it's entire length (as much as 10 lanes between Gouda and Utrecht)
* A13 Rotterdam, new bypass from A13 to A16, reducing pressure on the A20
* A15 Europort - Rotterdam: widening from six to 10 lanes with a local-express setup to cope with the projected 55,000(!) trucks per day (more than I-710 Los Angeles or I-80 Chicagoland).
* A27 widening between much of Breda - Utrecht to six and eight lanes (now 4 lanes)
* A28 widening between Utrecht and Amersfoort to six and eight lanes (now 4 lanes)
* A50 widening between Arnhem and Nijmegen, from 4 to 6 and 8 lanes (including a second Waal Bridge)
As you can see, these projects are not chicken shit, but the largest projects in 40 years.
Very interesting, indeed! That stuff from Nederlands should be 'must-reading' for ALL of those lefty enviro-wacko types who keep preaching the Gospel of 'induced demand' - where building roads is all that it takes to induce traffic. The traffic pressure is already there and it will grow, so the emphasis MUST be on how to *best* accommodate it. Yes, it can be done in ways that ensure that everything will 'fit in'.
:poke:
Speaking of the A15, are there any current plans to extend/complete it eastward from its current end at Overbetuwe to the A12, perhaps at the A18 interchange?
Mike
Quote from: mgk920 on June 21, 2010, 03:29:22 PM
Speaking of the A15, are there any current plans to extend/complete it eastward from its current end at Overbetuwe to the A12, perhaps at the A18 interchange?
There are plans to connect it to A12 between Duiven and Zevenaar, to form a southern arc of the city of Arnhem. However, "they" demand a tunnel under the Rhine river, and the preliminary cost estimates are already around 1 billion euros for only 8 miles of new 4-lane freeway. The problem is the Netherlands has an extremely low spending on transportation. Generally, around 2% of GDP in highway construction is seen as healthy, but the Netherlands invests only 0.25% of GDP in highway construction. This means projects have to be constructed one at the time. A positive effect of the recession is that the government increases highway spending.
Quote from: mgk920 on June 21, 2010, 03:29:22 PM
Very interesting, indeed! That stuff from Nederlands should be 'must-reading' for ALL of those lefty enviro-wacko types who keep preaching the Gospel of 'induced demand' - where building roads is all that it takes to induce traffic. The traffic pressure is already there and it will grow, so the emphasis MUST be on how to *best* accommodate it. Yes, it can be done in ways that ensure that everything will 'fit in'.
:poke:
Speaking of the A15, are there any current plans to extend/complete it eastward from its current end at Overbetuwe to the A12, perhaps at the A18 interchange?
Mike
HEY BUDDY I'M A LEFTY ENVIRO-WACKO AND I SUPPORT NEW FREEWAY CONSTRUCTION!
Quote from: yanksfan6129 on June 21, 2010, 09:01:15 PM
HEY BUDDY I'M A LEFTY ENVIRO-WACKO AND I SUPPORT NEW FREEWAY CONSTRUCTION!
do you personally induce demand?
Quote from: agentsteel53 on June 21, 2010, 09:13:30 PM
Quote from: yanksfan6129 on June 21, 2010, 09:01:15 PM
HEY BUDDY I'M A LEFTY ENVIRO-WACKO AND I SUPPORT NEW FREEWAY CONSTRUCTION!
do you personally induce demand?
I'm actually the dude that pushes all the cars onto the road.
I see from Chris' post at the top of the page that one of the A4 missing links will be completed. What about the other two?
When all the robust widening currently planned is completed will we be back in the same position 20 years from now saying the 12 lane freeways have reached saturation point? What next, widen them to 20 lanes with 10 lane C/D roads :colorful:
It seems that ever since freeway networks were planned they would solve a county's traffic problem for good but in virtually every country they need widening and improving just to keep up with current traffic demands.
Quote from: Truvelo on June 22, 2010, 11:16:04 AMWhen all the robust widening currently planned is completed will we be back in the same position 20 years from now saying the 12 lane freeways have reached saturation point? What next, widen them to 20 lanes with 10 lane C/D roads :colorful:
This, as you know, is the problem in the UK. Except we've also ditched widening and replaced it with hard shoulder running, so widening to 8-lanes proper (plus shoulder running to give 10-lanes when needed) in 20 years will be more expensive.
Stuff like Variable Speed Limits and Hard-shoulder running are reasonable things, but they don't substitute for widening or upgrading other routes to get traffic off the congested routes. Both the Netherlands and the UK have the problem of only 2 routes between the first and second cities, and both of them forming part of longer routes and being really heavily trafficked (both the Netherlands and the south eastern/midlands sort of area of England are rather densely populated - think NJ or MA density and you'd be close). The lack of many decent other routes, for more local traffic is annoying.
We should have built the M62 bypass round the North of Manchester - yes, 300 houses would have had to have been demolished, but we spent almost as much money widening the M62 (now M60) to 4-lanes, and that isn't enough in places. The M25 is currently being widened to where it was predicted to be in the mid-late 90s in 1989 (and parts of it won't be even there, but 20 years behind) - where's the parallel routes - some were built in the early 90s (and were proposed in 1989) and parts of the 2/3 rings planned inside it are built to reasonable standards, but the eggs are all in one basket.
Glasgow and Newcastle's original plans (mostly unbuilt) would have eliminated congestion (but also most of the traffic generators in the latter case). Scotland are building a massive urban motorway as they can't widen the 10-lane Kingston bridge, which is falling apart, so are bypassing it with an adapted original scheme - the M74.
I'm surprised by the construction time of shoulder running in the UK, I've read something about a 3-year construction time. In the Netherlands they usually implement shoulder running in a few months. Only left-shoulder running (another weird thing in NL, where they first construct a 11 feet wide left shoulder, and then implement shoulder running) usually takes more time because it's almost as complicated as a regular widening.
The Dutch seem to have written off shoulder running somewhat, finally acknowledging what we already knew; shoulder running is not a sustainable solution, they are meant to be opened during peak hours (that is: max 4 - 5 hours per day), but the widening is so long overdue the existing traffic already warrants a full-time opened shoulder running. It's not uncommon to see shoulder running in operation at 11 am or 2 pm, or even on Saturday or Sunday mornings.
Somewhere in the 1990's, the Dutch automobile association ANWB had a monopoly on signage. They lost that on freeways, and decided to develop a new signage system for non-motorways, reportedly just to show their importance in signing. The result however, is far from satisfying, ANWB Redesign Uu replaced the good old Highway Gothic font (locally known as Ee). It has less spacing, a smaller font-size, and utterly ridiculous arrows compared to what we had.
Here is how it looks on overhead signage (in my opinion, rubbish)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4094%2F4770590011_5787ae6036_o.jpg&hash=a94d0c97b03ddef414515c204f819e1a77d5c8c0)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4119%2F4773711979_2958fdb088_o.jpg&hash=9cfb575345853e497daf63f30c34eb348f16da7f)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4120%2F4774351176_8c15f1fcaa_o.jpg&hash=5c1a4d9c04f081dd86d035278a45774e90753e6a)
The arrows are so flimsy compared to what we had (http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4771226642_20213ace93_o.jpg), and the enormous amount of blue space is very annoying, saving on font legibility to create additional blue space? Don't get me started on this. X-(
Wow.
That's, um . . . . . . really, really bad.
Quote from: burgess87 on July 08, 2010, 06:33:49 PM
Wow.
That's, um . . . . . . really, really bad.
No kidding. :thumbdown: They are actually better off with Highway Gothic because that makes no sense. IF you lost the right to make signs for freeways, they could have at least kept the Highway Gothic font for non-freeways.
the number 28 on route A28 looks very nice. I think. I can barely read it. Maybe they could've made it even smaller, and placed a ladder in the middle of the road so that the driver can climb up for a closer look.
^Throw in a magnifying glass.
Would it kill them to use some sort of route shield for the route numbers? When they're all text like that, they tend to blend into the rest of the text on the sign.
I agree, route numbers in Europe are very dull. Only Romania has U.S.-like route shields.
I saw designs of Interstate Highways with Euro-style route numbers, I absolutely hated it.
Quote from: Chris on July 09, 2010, 12:49:43 PM
I agree, route numbers in Europe are very dull. Only Romania has U.S.-like route shields.
Hungary has pentagon-shaped shields, which aren't the most interesting in the world, but not bad.
QuoteI saw designs of Interstate Highways with Euro-style route numbers, I absolutely hated it.
where? can you provide an example image?
Oh stuff like this (note, just a guy experimenting with signage. Note the European influences of CBD (that phrase is never used in the U.S. I believe) and the "south" "north" directions indicating a portion of the city (Ellicot-South), which is common in Europe, but not the U.S.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg14.imageshack.us%2Fimg14%2F184%2Feurous01a.png&hash=69cd253824ce6041d00d14f094cc7e973cce3cde)
No, thank you ;)
Quote from: Chris on July 09, 2010, 02:22:10 PM
CBD (that phrase is never used in the U.S. I believe)
indeed, it is not. what is it? the work firewall is blocking the image.
A few pictures of the N259 near Steenbergen. What's interesting about it? Well, it is one of the last roads in the Netherlands that has not been downgraded from it's grand 1960's alignment with concrete pavement, wide lanes and shoulders.
Apparently, roads half this width are considered much better, even with probably 4 times the traffic volume of back in the 60's.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4140%2F4786940748_195c9c3201_o.jpg&hash=7469ae2b10ab5869a9edda648af9201c20cf02ec) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/4786940748/)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4074%2F4786940800_f10485f47a_o.jpg&hash=9efb69cf96f5569e6c5b9c5602ce30753adfe2d8) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/4786940800/)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4116%2F4786311077_e28533eb79_o.jpg&hash=2d4dc61188b3320e9586662b7ae9edc184719900) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/4786311077/)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4142%2F4786941008_94187a611f_o.jpg&hash=faee957f0daf9689b280df2f3ef8109e208d7687) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/4786941008/)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4097%2F4786311259_45e8e52196_o.jpg&hash=7a3658df1517c28a6e1a5969509df4c2ba970ff8) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/4786311259/)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4120%2F4786941184_d7558342bd_o.jpg&hash=c2cb84c06dfb8eebfbf93ed59ff01a4bf34b105c) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/4786941184/)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm5.static.flickr.com%2F4076%2F4786941248_b381dd07d8_o.jpg&hash=69f0f7597e7705ed899606744f16cf9dfb13b63e) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/4786941248/)
Quote from: Chris on July 09, 2010, 02:22:10 PM
Oh stuff like this (note, just a guy experimenting with signage. Note the European influences of CBD (that phrase is never used in the U.S. I believe) and the "south" "north" directions indicating a portion of the city (Ellicot-South), which is common in Europe, but not the U.S.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg14.imageshack.us%2Fimg14%2F184%2Feurous01a.png&hash=69cd253824ce6041d00d14f094cc7e973cce3cde)
No, thank you ;)
I know that area well. Seeing this done to the signs makes me weep. (And not just because "Ellicott City" is misspelled.)
Although I heartily approve of Philadelphia becoming the, or at least a, control city for 95 northbound in the Baltimore area.
PS to Chris, I'm P.W. on SSC.
Quote from: Chris on July 12, 2010, 11:12:25 AM
A few pictures of the N259 near Steenbergen. What's interesting about it? Well, it is one of the last roads in the Netherlands that has not been downgraded from it's grand 1960's alignment with concrete pavement, wide lanes and shoulders.
So all two-lane roads back then had shoulders?
It looks like the N259 at the roundabouts at each end of the Steenbergen Bypass was originally divided as this (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=steenbergen&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=20.088699,57.084961&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Steenbergen,+North+Brabant,+The+Netherlands&ll=51.570305,4.31178&spn=0.002584,0.009012&t=k&z=18) view shows. I'm guessing there were gaps in the median for turning traffic.
Quote from: Truvelo on August 08, 2010, 03:28:05 PMSo all two-lane roads back then had shoulders?
Not by default, but important ones did. This one, for example was a "rijksweg" (national road) and was seen as being of national importance as it was part of the rijksweg 19 (later rijksweg 4) from Amsterdam to Antwerp.
If you realize how many roads are downgraded, both in design-standard and speed limit, it's just sad. I doubt if many countries managed to destroy a perfectly good road network as much as the Netherlands did (and is still doing).
Many two-lane roads that carry 10,000 - 20,000 vehicles per day are only 18 feet wide with no shoulders. It's not uncommon to see a truck having issues to keep within the road markings in curves. One lane is only 2.75 m wide, while trucks are 2.55 m wide, leaving just 20 centimeters space for corrections. Only freeways still have decent designs. The national road authority is the only one that still makes sensible decisions. Provinces and municipalities downgrade 50 roads for every 1 road upgraded....
Here's (http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&ll=51.487509,5.850338&spn=0.005178,0.018024&t=k&z=17&layer=c&cbll=51.487192,5.848742&panoid=GW-j6j6AHrRalW71lY_L_g&cbp=12,232.51,,0,-1.64) a section of road with trees between the road and sidewalk. This seems to be common. Am I right in saying the trees are where the shoulders were? The trees look no more than 20 years old. This road also has interchanges very similar to that at Steenbergen where the main road is undivided.
Most trees along roads were planted after the 1960's and are all artificially planted. They're now considered a hazard because of head-on accidents with trees, but they are still planting them for landscaping reasons. Head-on accidents with trees are a major cause of traffic fatalities in the Netherlands. Most of these accidents involve only one vehicle and/or DUI. It's not uncommon to hear of accidents on Saturday night with 3 or more fatalities in one car, all aged somewhere between 18 and 24.
Yes, the trees look nice and pretty but a shoulder is more useful in an accident.
As for downgrading roads, take a look at this (http://maps.google.co.uk/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=51.579276,4.467273&spn=0.002584,0.009012&z=18) and then look on street view. You'll see 4-lane becomes 2-lane :banghead:
Here's a video I shot of the widened A2 between Utrecht and Amsterdam. It's so incredibly wide, 5 lanes each way, a huge left shoulder and an un-European wide median.
I call these projects "the new reality". No more stupid "solutions" like shoulder running or other measures to saturate the road network as much as possible. Dang, just a widening from 6 to 10 lanes.
What a nice video with perfect weather and you're heading away from the sun which always helps in getting nice contrast.
From 3:25 onwards is my favourite. It contains proper Dutch infrastructure such as catenary lighting. A problem with modern roads is they lack character.
hopefully, given we're in a phase of shoulder running as a solution for everything (OK, parts of the network are being widened from 6 to 8 lanes, but needed 10, perhaps with a 2+3+3+2 set up 20 ages ago - however many of those schemes have been kicked into long grass - might get shoulder running if lucky, and the unfunded shoulder running schemes are due to be scrapped. I know that the deficit is a big problem, but we won't get a decent economy if we continue with a bad transport network - including many needed rail projects: lots aren't, but many are worthwhile, especially since you can't drive easily in London), we in the UK will start doing the decent thing and dealing with the problems properly - in the UK that wouldn't just mean proper widening, but alternative routes, upgrading major divided A roads to motorway, and some new build.
1 inch of snow fell yesterday during the evening rush hour, resulting in a full gridlock in most of the central parts of the Netherlands. According to the traditional traffic information, this was the second busiest rush hour of all times with a peak total congestion of 884 kilometers (553 miles) of queue at one time. The more detailed TomTom HD Traffic even recorded over 5,200 kilometers (3,200 miles) of queue in the Netherlands. There were individual traffic jams up to 50 miles long, in both directions on many freeways.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg403.imageshack.us%2Fimg403%2F5241%2F28016340.jpg&hash=e09f616c73a0b4685ac41e04ea1656d2540839a7)
wow, in the case of snow, everyone panics and stops?
at least, in California, people have the decency to run off the road into the ravine, thereby eliminating themselves as a source of blockage.
Light snowfall has similar consequences in the UK and has less to do with lack of skill in driving in snowstorms and more to do with high traffic volumes (which prevent gritters and snowplows from getting through) and a lack of network redundancy. The Dutch motorway network has a somewhat higher degree of redundancy but I'd imagine the high traffic volumes on certain lengths cause problems.
Well, this event separated the men from the boys, road-wise. The recently widened 10-lane / 8-lane A2 was mostly clear while the 4-lane A27 runs in the same area and was congested for 50 kilometers in both directions.
What about Waterlinieweg that runs between the A2 and A27. Is it a viable alternative to the A27 for through traffic?
I wrote this post for Skyscrapercity, but it may be of interest here as well.
Schiphol - Amsterdam - Almere (SAA)
The SAA project is the largest motorway project undertaken in the Netherlands in at least the last few decades. A few years ago, it became clear there was no political will for a new A6-A9 connection, thus plans changed and they opted for a massive widening of existing motorways. In 2010 the design-record of decision has been taken, and a record of decision is expected in 2011 with road works commencing in 2012 and completion in 2018.
This is the scope of the project:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg222.imageshack.us%2Fimg222%2F9458%2Fsaa1.jpg&hash=6dba3671c7b98ee09e02c4f238af12a4fb79146f)
The most vital link is the A1 between interchanges Diemen and Muiderberg. It currently carries 190,000 vehicles per day. It has 2x3 lanes plus a reversible lane, which will be dualled until early 2011, hence 8 lanes. To cope with the astounding growth of the city of Almere (from 180,000 tot 350,000 inhabitants), a large-scale expansion of the motorway network to the job locations (southern Amsterdam, Schiphol area) is necessary.
The predicted 2022 traffic volume on the A1 motorway is 311,000 vehicles per day. In other words, around 370,000 people will use it on a daily basis. This is as much as 40% of the entire Dutch public transport. Only the growth of traffic on this corridor equals 15% of the entire Dutch public transport. It will become the busiest motorway in the Netherlands, and possibly Europe (tie with M-30 in Madrid).
Section: A1 interchange Watergraafsmeer (A10) - interchange Diemen (A9)
This section will be widened from 2x3 lanes to 2x4 lanes. There will be 10 lanes close to both interchanges.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg221.imageshack.us%2Fimg221%2F4440%2Fsaa2v.jpg&hash=f678cb836593316a4fd2638751259d794a6e5a94)
Section: A1 interchange Diemen (A9) - interchange Muiderberg (A6)
This section will be widened from 2x3+2 lanes to 2x5+2 lanes plus 2 bus lanes, 14 lanes total. The drawbridge near Muiden will be replaced by a 14-lane aquaduct slightly south of the existing bridge, the widest aquaduct in the world. Some sections will feature 2x6 through lanes.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg253.imageshack.us%2Fimg253%2F2895%2Fsaa3.jpg&hash=743f9bf35dac4d85067f465dc1cc5b3cb2d16be5)
Section: A6 interchange Muiderberg (A1) - Almere-Buiten-Oost
This section will be widened from 2x3 / 2x2 lanes to an express-local setup, with basically 4x2 lanes near Almere, but up to 16 lanes closer to interchange Muiderberg. The existing Holland Bridge will be replaced by a new, 15-lane bridge, including 11 motorway lanes, 2 bus lanes and 2 non-motorway lanes for slow traffic. This bridge will become the widest in the Netherlands, surpassing the 12-lane Brienenoord Bridge in Rotterdam.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg829.imageshack.us%2Fimg829%2F3186%2Fsaa4.jpg&hash=258b89c4de662a898f0c19771994ed93801b27ef)
Section: A9 interchange Diemen (A1) - interchange Holendrecht (A2)
This section currently has 2x2 lanes and shoulder running during peak hours. Due to the expected growth on the A1-A9 corridor, interchange Diemen will be drastically realigned and Almere - Haarlem will become the through direction (A1 will run through a TOTSO). This section will be changed with a new tunnel, with 10 lanes, with a 5x2 setup (2 reversible lanes) in the tunnel, which will become 2x5 lanes approaching interchange Diemen.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg143.imageshack.us%2Fimg143%2F4705%2Fsaa5r.jpg&hash=0be326c7cd3bf8371317ed4acdf3407fe1d15253)
Section: A9 interchange Badhoevedorp (A4) - interchange Holendrecht (A2)
This section currently has mostly 2x3 lanes, with 4 lanes per direction near interchanges. This section will see a modest upgrade with 2x4 lanes all the way, except approaching interchanges, where 2x5 or 2x6 lanes will be constructed. No exceptional constructions are needed here.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg217.imageshack.us%2Fimg217%2F6667%2Fsaa6.jpg&hash=be64448195ede2cac4ceee1be55365ef10f4957c)
Section: A10 interchange Watergraafsmeer (A1) - interchange Amstel (A2)
This section currently has 2x3 lanes, and will be modestly upgraded to 2x4 lanes. This section has a narrow right-of-way and passes under a section of the Watergraafsmeer classification yard, which means there is not much space.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg204.imageshack.us%2Fimg204%2F404%2Fsaa7.jpg&hash=6493651a801e4c2325388872cc78c172c2fc241a)
Related widenings:
A1: Bussum - interchange Eemnes
This section has a very narrow ROW and currently features 2x2 lanes. Shoulder running will be implemented by early 2011.
A2: Amsterdam - Utrecht
This section has recently been widened to 2x5 lanes, but will not be finished near Utrecht until late 2012 due to severe tunnel technical installation problems.
A4: Schiphol - Amsterdam
This section is currently the busiest 2x3 motorway in the Netherlands with 190,000 vehicles per day. For now, shoulder running will be added.
A10: Amsterdam-South
This section currently has 2x3 lanes and is severely congested. As a short-term solution, shoulder running will be added between A2 and A4. There are plans to completely rebuild the area around the motorway, including putting all motorway and rail infrastructure underground with 4x3 lanes. This is very expensive and can only be realized in conjunction with real estate development, but is put on-hold due to the economic situation.
Quote from: Chris on November 30, 2010, 10:20:05 AM
1 inch of snow fell yesterday during the evening rush hour, resulting in a full gridlock in most of the central parts of the Netherlands. According to the traditional traffic information, this was the second busiest rush hour of all times with a peak total congestion of 884 kilometers (553 miles) of queue at one time. The more detailed TomTom HD Traffic even recorded over 5,200 kilometers (3,200 miles) of queue in the Netherlands. There were individual traffic jams up to 50 miles long, in both directions on many freeways.
Only an inch? Here. IDOT, ISTHA, Chicago, the counties, and municipalities would have the salt and plow trucks out in force ahead and during the storm. We'd see slower than normal travel times, but nothing biblical. For biblical, give us 10-12 inches within a couple of hours with blowing and drifting snow.
Quote from: Brandon on November 30, 2010, 04:05:42 PMOnly an inch? Here. IDOT, ISTHA, Chicago, the counties, and municipalities would have the salt and plow trucks out in force ahead and during the storm. We'd see slower than normal travel times, but nothing biblical. For biblical, give us 10-12 inches within a couple of hours with blowing and drifting snow.
Only an inch. There really is little slack in the system. A few years ago there was a snowfall in southern England (no more than three inches or so) which resulted in people being stranded in their cars for 24 hours or longer.
There are a few problems. First, the Dutch freeway network is extremely saturated. People keep far less than safe distances, and theoretically impossible traffic volumes are achieved (up to 3,000 vehicles per hour per lane). We also paved all our freeways with porous asphalt, so there is no splash even during heavy rain, so people can keep going on keeping very short distances. Hence, they are not used to any form of precipitation that cause them to keep more distance. They are not used to bad visibility, thus you have major problems during 1) snowfall (how little that may be) 2) fog and 3) accidents because the entire system is loaded to, and often over capacity.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on November 30, 2010, 10:24:58 AM
wow, in the case of snow, everyone panics and stops?
at least, in California, people have the decency to run off the road into the ravine, thereby eliminating themselves as a source of blockage.
It snows in California? (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wordforge.net%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Fchris.gif&hash=bf0d6a15fd859e102cc101db150ab61c39d98ed2)
^^^
It snows plenty in the mountains. Donner Pass area gets up to 400" a year.
But, I assume you're talking about the major cities.
Yep :bigass:
Can I safely assume that there will be connectivity upgrades for the A-9 on that part where it is combined with the A-2?
Mike
Quote from: Bickendan on December 01, 2010, 03:41:30 PM
Yep :bigass:
I am terrified as to what emoticon you were attempting to produce there.
Quote from: mgk920 on December 01, 2010, 11:50:45 PM
Can I safely assume that there will be connectivity upgrades for the A-9 on that part where it is combined with the A-2?
No you can't.
The interchange A2-A9 will remain the same, only a flyover for a tidal flow lane (A9) will be added.
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 02, 2010, 03:04:05 AM
Quote from: Bickendan on December 01, 2010, 03:41:30 PM
Yep :bigass:
I am terrified as to what emoticon you were attempting to produce there.
This one: (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwordforge.net%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Fbigass.gif&hash=57a7187103e958e69eecf0dd312a5d9b3fbf2988)
You often read about those stories that "more asphalt does not reduce traffic jams".
Here are some incredible statistics of the A2 in the province of North Brabant, before and after widening (2009-2010);
* A2 Zaltbommel -96% traffic congestion
* A2 Den Bosch -94% traffic congestion
* A2 Eindhoven -84% traffic congestion
While traffic volumes increased at the same time, and traffic congestion in the whole country also increased slightly (the recession does not seem to have a big impact on traffic congestion)
Zaltbommel was the worst traffic jam in the country in 2009, with 252,000 minutes there was 1 km of stationary traffic recorded. This dropped to only 20,000 kilometer-minutes in 2010. The A2 around Den Bosch dropped from 205,000 km-min in 2009 to 10,000 km-min in 2010.
I made a map of lane counts on Dutch freeways. It's a bit simplified, some sections have uneven lane counts, but are shown as even lane counts here.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm6.static.flickr.com%2F5161%2F5320696931_6fc623fc41_o.png&hash=ec9eeff8fe90f1ee64948815a9a6ee8832bdfa91) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/5320696931/)
NL lane count simple V2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/chriszwolle/5320696931/) by Chriszwolle (http://www.flickr.com/people/chriszwolle/), on Flickr
The Netherlands started a trial with 130 km/h (80 miles per hour) speed limits on some freeways. Today the first trial commenced on A7 in North Holland province.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Ft8DpK.jpg&hash=7a794deaae915518ba0d3728cccb55212ce2b8fc)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FvrjkC.jpg&hash=1c35b218a9fade0f8fcda52086ad1b5a6de6829b)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FX3SMF.jpg&hash=1c5b3c3d5f9340aefae24e975ce089287e6abaf8)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FonfJk.jpg&hash=8f7f20624af801cac572ad9bcc901dc387805080)
They aren't doing that using Variable Speed Limits? The photos here show that the road seems less-travelled, but it seems like the network has way too much volume to allow a speed limit that high...but i'm not Dutch so I don't really have a clue...
This section carries less than 40,000 vehicles per day. Busier freeways have variable signaling. They will also introduce 130 km/h on an 8-lane rural freeway.
Something similar (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8350157/Motorway-speed-limit-could-be-raised-to-80mph.html) may happen in Britain but I wouldn't hold my breath.
There are only 5 countries with speed limits lower than the United Kingdom in Europe.
1 country has a 140 km/h speed limit (Poland)
16 countries have a 130 km/h speed limit
10 countries have a 120 km/h speed limit
4 countries have a 110 km/h speed limit
1 country has a 100 km/h speed limit
I'm currently working in the Netherlands and I have to say the last few days have been a nightmare with traffic. I'm surprised how a country with such a dense motorway network is so congested.
This evening for example. I left Rotterdam just after 5pm, bad time I know, and my hotel is in Breda. A16 is the direct route so got as far as Dordrecht and the traffic stopped. I turned round and took A15 east then tried the A27 but that was also stationary so I drove across the gore area, naughty :police:, and continued east along the A15 to the A2. The A2 heading south was also stationary. As I'm now heading out of my way I decided to stick it out. Stop start for the next few minutes until Hertogenbosch and then I took the A59 west. Now I can do 120kmh. And now for the worst part - I will take the A27 south to Breda and I expect a direct connector from the A59 to the A27. No, the A59 stops dead at a set of traffic lights. I know connections between British motorways are bad but this is dreadful. Should there be a four level stack here - I think so.
I can't wait to return home. I know we don't have ten lane motoways with eight lane C/D roads in Britain but being stuck in 18 lanes of crawling traffic is not a nice experience. I don't know how people can cope with such heavy traffic and paying extortionate prices for the pleasure to sit in queues. I filled up today at €1.80 litre. Thankfully my company is paying.
One bad day is barely a reason to complain. After all you are one reason why roads are congested. And rat-racing around to find a better way makes things even worse. I presume you would have been quicker sticking to your original route. It would have been cheaper as well. Taking the detour via den Bosch technically disqualifies you from lamenting raised petrol prices.
Knooppunt Hooipolder is just fine as it is. The A 59 is a glorified dual carriageway anyway as you may have noticed. So absorbing the A 27 slips by a pair of crossroads is therefore a sensible solution. At least more sensible than a four-level-stack which would be way over the top.
Quote from: Truvelo on March 06, 2013, 03:34:28 PM
I can't wait to return home. I know we don't have ten lane motoways with eight lane C/D roads in Britain but being stuck in 18 lanes of crawling traffic is not a nice experience. I don't know how people can cope with such heavy traffic and paying extortionate prices for the pleasure to sit in queues. I filled up today at €1.80 litre. Thankfully my company is paying.
Are you driving a right-hand-drive vehicle in the Netherlands?
If yes, is that as difficult as it would seem?
Though I have talked with a few people serving in the U.S. military who were posted to the UK and took their left-hand-drive vehicles with them and said it was not as bad as I would have thought.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 07, 2013, 08:55:36 AM
Quote from: Truvelo on March 06, 2013, 03:34:28 PM
I can't wait to return home. I know we don't have ten lane motoways with eight lane C/D roads in Britain but being stuck in 18 lanes of crawling traffic is not a nice experience. I don't know how people can cope with such heavy traffic and paying extortionate prices for the pleasure to sit in queues. I filled up today at €1.80 litre. Thankfully my company is paying.
Are you driving a right-hand-drive vehicle in the Netherlands?
If yes, is that as difficult as it would seem?
Though I have talked with a few people serving in the U.S. military who were posted to the UK and took their left-hand-drive vehicles with them and said it was not as bad as I would have thought.
I've driven a left-hand-drive vehicle in the UK and it's not bad, but drive-through windows are hell.
The Hooipolder interchange is highly inadequate, but a 4-level stack is not necessary. They are currently funding a reconstruction of the A27 freeway from Utrecht to the Hooipolder interchange. There is not sufficient funding to widen the entire freeway to 8 lanes at this time, so they will widen only the worst segments. On the top of the list are the Merwede Bridge at Gorinchem (4-lane bridge with no shoulders and 100,000 vehicles per day) and the reconstruction of the Hooipolder interchange (A27/A59). The interchange will likely become a cloverturbine.
Traffic in the Rotterdam region is currently the most congested in the Netherlands because freeways around other cities have been widened in the past 5 years. Traffic around Utrecht and Amsterdam has improved dramatically, for example on the A2 freeway, traffic congestion was cut by 98% after they widened it from 6 to 10 lanes. Traffic congestion on A12 west of Utrecht was also cut by over 95% after they widened it from 6 to 8 lanes.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on March 07, 2013, 08:55:36 AM
Are you driving a right-hand-drive vehicle in the Netherlands?
If yes, is that as difficult as it would seem?
Though I have talked with a few people serving in the U.S. military who were posted to the UK and took their left-hand-drive vehicles with them and said it was not as bad as I would have thought.
I'm renting a car from the airport. Believe it or not this is the first time I've rented a car in mainland Europe. All the previous times I've driven on the continent have been in my own car.
Talking of US military, why are there so many full size American pickups in Holland? I've seen hundreds of them and most have the distinct V8 petrol sound. With gas prices so high what drives so many people to use such thirsty vehicles. In Britain you see the odd American pickup every now and then but not in the high numbers I've seen in Holland.
As for the road network here's some more of my observations. A59 near exit 39 is a narrow bridge without shoulders. There is a 70kmh speed limit that is totally ignored. As for the A27/A59 interchange what do you mean by a cloverturbine? Are the turning movements freeflow?
I had the pleasure of the driving the new American standard A2 between Amsterdam and Utrecht. What I didn't like is the 100kmh limit and the Trajectcontrole cameras covering the widened section. 100 is a painful crawl. This should easily be 130.
One of the stack interchanges in Rotterdam, A15/A29 I think, is being rebuilt. It appears they have got the design straight from the Texas design book. It looks so american. Maybe they should paint the left edge line yellow and the American pickups in Holland will feel at home :cool:
Today is my last full day in Holland so I decided to leave Rotterdam at 4pm to beat the traffic. Wrong :ded:. The LED signs on the Ring show a map and I assume white is clear and red is queues. I hit a nasty queue on the A20 near the A13. I wonder if Rotterdam has a longer rush hour than London?
I normally hate it when I return home from abroad and wish I could stay longer but this occasion I can't wait to get away from the mayhem and traffic. It's comparable to rush hour in big American cities. At least when you're outside American cities the traffic disappears but in Holland the rural motorways are just as bad. It's true of Britain but our rural motorways tend to queue only if there's an accident.
when I drove from Belgium to Germany via Amsterdam, we had no trouble at all on the freeways. they were fairly bad at 6pm on a Tuesday, so we ascribed that to being 6pm on a Tuesday. they were fine the rest of the time.
and no, I don't remember exactly which freeways, other than I believe it was A4 in, A1 out.
Pickup trucks are fairly popular in the construction sector. Many self-employed in the construction sector own one. There are circa 30,000 American pickup trucks registered in the Netherlands, plus thousands of Japanese pickup trucks (Nissan Patrol, Toyota Hilux, Toyota Landcruiser, etc.) Road authorities also love them. American pickup trucks are not politically correct, so most road authorities buy Toyotas.
Apparently most American pickups are converted to LPG / autogas because it's almost € 1 per liter cheaper than gasoline. LPG / autogas is just over the American gas price, compared to more than $ 9 per gallon for regular gasoline.
However, European vans are still much more popular, chiefly because they offer diesel engines, something most American carmakers don't. Only Chrysler / Dodge sold diesel vans in the 1990s / early 2000s. (the popular Chrysler Voyager, also known as the Dodge Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country).
Quote from: Truvelo on March 07, 2013, 01:13:24 PMAs for the A27/A59 interchange what do you mean by a cloverturbine? Are the turning movements freeflow?
Something like this (http://autobahnkreuze-online.de/junction.php?road=A42&exit=21) probably.
I'm here again and this week has been just as bad as when I was here in March apart from Tuesday. Maybe the ceremony for the new King was a holiday? It made a change to see no congestion.
I've noticed a few changes since two months ago. A4 exit 3 near Hoofddorp is undergoing some kind of alteration. It appears some kind of C/D roads are being added. There's also a lot of new development taking place to the west of the junction so maybe the roads are being widened to cater for the extra traffic.
Work on building the missing sections of the A4 near Rotterdam is making steady progress. I mentioned in my last post about the Texas style stacks and since March some of the ramps are nearing completion. I hope the A4 when completed will remove North-South traffic from the A15 and A20. Maybe congestion on the Rotterdam Ring will be history.
I will be here again at the end of the month but not in Rotterdam thank god.
Yep, Rotterdam is definitely the worst area in terms of congestion.
About A4, there are two new interchanges constructed and the existing one will be removed. They add 2 collector lanes each way (which makes it a cross-section of 14 lanes). It is part of the N201 upgrade around Aalsmeer. It's the largest provincial road project in the Netherlands at € 750 million.
There is a new four-lane motorway planned to connect A16 with A13, so that north-south traffic does not have to get on A20. It will be a toll road though. Additionally, they are currently planning the new A24 link west of Rotterdam that connects A15 and A20. It will be a six-lane toll tunnel. Both projects should be completed around 2020/2021.
As you have noticed, A15 in Rotterdam is undergoing a major expansion, it's being widened from 6 to 10 lanes. This motorway has incredible trucking volumes (up to 35,000 trucks per day at some segments). Works should be completed by 2015.
Rotterdam is the most traffic-intensive area of the Netherlands. Most of the ring road is loaded to capacity, for example the six-lane A20 carries as much as 185,000 vehicles per day. The 12-lane A16 bridge carries 230,000 vehicles per day and was the busiest stretch of road in the country until it was passed by A4 at The Hague last year. A13 also carries upwards to 180,000 vehicles per day on its six lanes.
I have noticed all the motorways west of the A27 have to use the Rotterdam Ring. I'm not impressed about the new routes being tolled. I assume the A4 will be free. I'm also disappointed to see the traditional catenary and low pressure sodium lighting being replaced as part of the work. N201 @ A3 is having the lighting replaced at the moment.
I'll have a search for the A4 plans.
There are currently three toll roads planned to be open to traffic by 2020-2021;
* A13-A16 link at Rotterdam
* A15 extension south of Arnhem
* A24 tunnel west of Rotterdam
They took the "Norwegian approach" here, only a part of the total investment has to come from tolls, which means these new links will become toll free once the toll proportion is paid off. With the volumes and tolls planned, I estimate these facilities to become toll free in 7 - 10 years.
Tolls are outrageous because of the already high taxation on motorists, motoring-related tax revenue exceeds expenditures on road infrastructure by 3 - 4 times. However, in current times of budget cuts and austerity, it is the only way to construct these (expensive) projects.
Legislation forbids to toll existing roads. Unlike the U.S., this also means road widenings are not to be tolled. Only entirely new links are allowed to be tolled.
Quote from: Chris on May 03, 2013, 08:03:08 AM
There are currently three toll roads planned to be open to traffic by 2020-2021;
* A13-A16 link at Rotterdam
* A15 extension south of Arnhem
* A24 tunnel west of Rotterdam
They took the "Norwegian approach" here, only a part of the total investment has to come from tolls, which means these new links will become toll free once the toll proportion is paid off. With the volumes and tolls planned, I estimate these facilities to become toll free in 7 - 10 years.
Tolls are outrageous because of the already high taxation on motorists, motoring-related tax revenue exceeds expenditures on road infrastructure by 3 - 4 times. However, in current times of budget cuts and austerity, it is the only way to construct these (expensive) projects.
Legislation forbids to toll existing roads. Unlike the U.S., this also means road widenings are not to be tolled. Only entirely new links are allowed to be tolled.
Would they have electronic toll collection gantries just like Norway/Sweden has on their cites or a cash option just like an Austrian Alpine tunnel crossing. From what I've seen in your videos was that these motorways can be widened if heavy build up occurs on them
There are no land-consuming toll plazas planned, so toll-by-plate or transponders is the only solution. ANPR is technically no problem, but getting toll bills sent to foreigners paid is an issue, especially with the A15 extension which is close to the border with Germany. The EU is currently working to make DMV databases accessible to foreign authorities so they can send toll bills (or fines for that matter) to foreign drivers. However, sending toll bills is one thing, getting them paid is another. They need some kind of enforcement.
Some countries are already cooperating, until about 5 -10 years ago you could get away with speeding tickets issued in other countries, unless you were pulled over (which is much rarer in Europe than it is in the U.S.) I've received a speeding ticket from Germany, but not from France.
Quote from: Chris on May 23, 2013, 09:52:19 AM
There are no land-consuming toll plazas planned, so toll-by-plate or transponders is the only solution. ANPR is technically no problem, but getting toll bills sent to foreigners paid is an issue, especially with the A15 extension which is close to the border with Germany. The EU is currently working to make DMV databases accessible to foreign authorities so they can send toll bills (or fines for that matter) to foreign drivers. However, sending toll bills is one thing, getting them paid is another. They need some kind of enforcement.
At least in Stockholm, non-Swedish vehicles are categorically excluded from the congestion tax cordon around the downtown area. This makes sense, since there are ferry terminals to Finland and Estonia within the Stockholm cordon.
I don't know if non-Swedish vehicles are exempted from the congestion tax in Gothenburg (Göteborg). The E6 and E20 highways run through that cordon.
Going to use this as the general Dutch roads thread, as the "Stroads" video (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=29144.0) posted in the forum recently peaked my interest on Dutch roads. What is the general opinion here of this intersection design used widely in the Netherlands? For me, I think the design is great, adding some extra safety like the curb between the right turn area and bike lane for cyclists without taking that much away from drivers.
(https://i.imgur.com/RIgVbQn.png?1)
I live in the Netherlands. This curb at right turns is not a common feature except in cases where the whole bike path is detached from the road.
There are two types of bicycle infrastructure in the Netherlands: bike lanes and separate bike paths. Bikes lanes are mostly found in the more densely built-up areas, such as in urban cores where there was no space to build separate bike paths.
Detached bike paths are most common in suburban areas. I know it may sound counterintuitive, but Dutch bicycle infrastructure is better in lower density suburban areas than inner cities, which have less space for separate bicycle infrastructure and vastly more places where you need to stop at traffic signals. However most Dutch cities are compact with short travel distances, so it is still convenient to bicycle almost everywhere in a city.
An example of bicycle infrastructure in the denser areas: narrow bike lanes squeezed in, a larger number of signalized intersections.
(https://i.imgur.com/7s00UQ8.jpg)
In the suburban areas bicycle infrastructure is often completely detached from the main arterials, with few if any points where cyclists need to stop or give way.
(https://i.imgur.com/bksak1J.jpg)