Rijksstraatweg Explained

Rijksstraatweg or simply Straatweg (Steenweg in Belgium) was the term for paved roads of interregional significance in the Netherlands in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These roads were built by the national government, and formed the country's first centrally planned highway network. They received route numbers, eventually resulting in a nationwide network of 82 highways. It formed the basis for today's system of nationally controlled roads (called Rijkswegen), the Netherlands' main highway grid.

The network was both inspired by, and an expansion of the network of imperial highways constructed by France during the era of Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte. In 1795 a new Dutch republic had been proclaimed with the armed support of the revolutionary French Republic. The country's rule was centralised, and French influence started getting ever stronger. In 1804 Napoleon became emperor of France, and between 1810 and 1813 the Netherlands was made a full part of the French Empire. During those years, construction of the French imperial highways was also extended to Holland. Amsterdam was connected to Paris by Route Impériale no. 2. The section between Amsterdam and Utrecht is today still a part of the A2 motorway.^[1] The name Rijksstraatweg literally translates as "Imperial paved road", reflecting not only the French example, but also the Netherlands' own status, still being a colonial empire at that time.After the independence of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, paving of existing and construction of new interregional roads continued. The first plan for 26 national roads, had already been drawn up in 1814. By 1816 it had grown to 31, and to 42 in 1821. In this period, roads between towns were still mostly unpaved, and horse-drawn boats were still common, so this was a significant development. But costs had to be weighed. Paving was done predominantly in regions with a sufficient amount of industry, and tolls were charged. Important routes across the borders were also paved.
The numbering was based on geographical location, with its center in Amsterdam, where the highways 1-9 radiated into the country (see list below). Highway 10 connected Leiden with Haarlem, the numbers 11-14 were connected to The Hague, 15-21 to Rotterdam, 22-27 to Utrecht and so forth, up to number 82.

During the rise of steam train railways in the second half of the 19th century, the road network received much less attention, as national funding went largely into developing a solid rail infrastructure. However, when the automobile made its way to the general public, it became inevitable to improve the highway network for motorised traffic. In 1927 the first Rijkswegenplan was produced, the first Dutch national highway structure plan for a century; paving the way for the modern highway system that is still in place today. From that time on, the name Rijksweg was used in favour of the previous Rijksstraatweg.^[2] Eventually the original system was almost completely absorbed into the Rijksweg network. The first Rijkswegenplan based its route numbers on the existing system, but these have been revised many times since.
So far the rijks(straat)weg numbers had been mostly administrative, and not displayed on signposts. At best they were indicated on kilometre poles and can still be found on old maps. In Leiden, an old pole is still situated along Straatweg 4 (Haagweg), signaling 16 km from The Hague. Signposting highway route numbers on road signs started in 1957, when the European E-road numbers and the complementing National N-road numbers were introduced in the Netherlands. But in 1976 it was decided to signpost the Rijksweg numbers instead, abolishing the N-road numbers, and also displaying them on roads with an E-number, in order to consistently cover the whole network.

The name 'Rijksstraatweg' or the suffix '-straatweg' is still often found on local street names, e.g. the Amsterdamsestraatweg in Utrecht (part of Route 2).

Rijksstraatwegen

Radiating from Amsterdam

N0 Beltway around central Amsterdam^[3] N1 Dam Square - Diemen - Muiden - Naarden - Bussum - Hilversum - Baarn - AmersfoortN2 Dam Square - Duivendrecht - Abcoude - Loenen - Breukelen - Maarssen - Zuilen - UtrechtN3 Dam Square - Amstelveen - Ter Aar - Gouda - Nieuwerkerk a/d IJssel - Kralingen - RotterdamN4 Dam Square - Sloten - Haarlemmermeer - Leiden - Wassenaar - The HagueN5 Dam Square - Halfweg - Haarlem - Bloemendaal - ZandvoortN6 Dam Square - Spaarndam - Velsen - Beverwijk - Castricum - Alkmaar - Den HelderN7 Dam Square - Zaandam - Wormerveer - Heerhugowaard - Langedijk - Schagen - WieringenN8 Dam Square - Nieuwendam - Purmerend - Hoorn - Middenmeer - Wieringen - WonseradeelN9 Dam Square - Zeeburg - Almere - Kampen - Zwolle

Originating in The Hague, Rotterdam or Utrecht

N10 Leiden - Sassenheim - Lisse - Haarlem - VelsenN11 The Hague - Voorschoten - Leiden - Alphen - Bodegraven - Woerden - De Meern - UtrechtN12 Scheveningen - Voorburg - Zoetermeer - Gouda - Oudewater - De Meern - UtrechtN13 The Hague - Delft - Overschie - RotterdamN14 The Hague - Naaldwijk - Hook of HollandN15 Rotterdam - IJsselmonde - Ridderkerk - Gorinchem - Waardenburg - Geldermalsen - TielN16 Rotterdam - IJsselmonde - Dordrecht - Moerdijk - Breda - ZundertN17 Rotterdam - Barendrecht - Numansdorp - Willemstad - Steenbergen - Bergen op ZoomN18 Rotterdam - Charlois - Spijkenisse - Hellevoetsluis - Stellendam - MiddelharnisN19 Hillegersberg - Rotterdam - Charlois - Pernis - Rozenburg - HellevoetsluisN20 Rotterdam - Delfshaven - Schiedam - Vlaardingen - Hook of HollandN21 Rozenburg - Maassluis - Delft - Pijnacker - ZoetermeerN22 Utrecht - Maartensdijk - Hilversum - HuizenN23 Utrecht - De Bilt - Soest - AmersfoortN24 Utrecht - Zeist - Renswoude - Ede - Arnhem - Westervoort - Zevenaar - EltenN25 Utrecht - Bunnik - Doorn - Rhenen - Wageningen - ArnhemN26 Utrecht - Houten - Culemborg - Geldermalsen - Zaltbommel - Bois le DucN27 Utrecht - Nieuwegein - Vianen - Gorinchem - Sleeuwijk - Oosterhout - Breda

Originating elsewhere

N28 Amersfoort - Nijkerk - Harderwijk - Wezep - ZwolleN29 Amersfoort - Voorthuizen - ApeldoornN30 Nijkerk - Barneveld - Renswoude - Veenendaal - RhenenN31 Leeuwarden - Franeker - Harlingen - WonseradeelN32 Leeuwarden - Heerenveen - Steenwijk - Meppel - ZwolleN33 Assen - Veendam - DelfzijlN34 Groningen - Zuidlaren - Emmen - Coevorden - AvereestN35 Zwolle - Kampferbeke - Nijverdal - AlmeloN36 Coevorden - Hardenberg - AlmeloN37 Zwolle - Wijhe - DeventerN38 Oldebroek - Kampen - Emmeloord - Lemmer - Sneek - WonseradeelN39 Groningen - Leek - Drachten - Heerenveen - SneekN40 Groningen - Hoogezand - Winschoten - NieuweschansN41 Leeuwarden - Buitenpost - Groningen - Appingedam - DelfzijlN42 Groningen - Assen - Smilde - MeppelN43 Almelo - Borne - Hengelo - EnschedeN44 Apeldoorn - Deventer - Goor - Hengelo - OldenzaalN45 Raalte - Deventer - Gorssel - ZutphenN46 Assen - Hoogeveen - CoevordenN47 Zutphen - Ruurlo - Groenlo - WinterswijkN48 Twello - Rheden - ArnhemN49 Zutphen - Voorst - ApeldoornN50 Arnhem - Apeldoorn - Epe - HattemN51 Rheden - Doesburg - Doetinchem - Winterswijk - Haaksbergen - EnschedeN52 Arnhem - Elst - NijmegenN53 Ubbergen - Nijmegen - Beuningen - Druten - Tiel - GeldermalsenN54 Bois le Duc - Waalwijk - Geertruidenberg - Zevenbergen - WillemstadN55 Bois le Duc - Rosmalen - Heesch - Grave - NijmegenN56 Flushing - Middelburg - Kortgene - Sint Maartensdijk - Tholen - Bergen op ZoomN57 Westenschouwen - Brouwershaven - ZierikzeeN58 Flushing - Middelburg - Goes - Kruiningen - Bergen op ZoomN59 Zierikzee - Bruinisse - Sint Philipsland - SteenbergenN60 Goes - Terneuzen - Axel - Hulst - Sint JansteenN61 Terneuzen - IJzendijke - Oostburg - SluisN62 Tilburg - Waalwijk - Drunen - Heusden - Woudrichem - GorinchemN63 Bergen op Zoom - Roosendaal - Princenhage - Breda - Rijen - Tilburg - Oirschot - Best - EindhovenN64 Bois le Duc - Vught - Boxtel - Best - EindhovenN65 Vught - Helvoirt - Berkel Enschot - Tilburg - GoirleN66 Best - Sint Oedenrode - Veghel - Uden - GraveN67 Eindhoven - Veldhoven - Eersel - ReuselN68 Eindhoven - Geldrop - Heeze - Weert - RoermondN69 Eindhoven - Aalst - Valkenswaard - Borkel en SchaftN70 Eindhoven - Geldrop - Helmond - Asten - Helden - VenloN71 Nijmegen - Gennep - VenloN72 Venlo - Tegelen - RoermondN73 Grave - Cuijk - Boxmeer - Venraij - Maasbree - Haelen - IttervoortN74 Roermond - MaasnielN75 Roermond - Echt - Sittard - Geleen - MaastrichtN76 Sittard - Hoensbroek - HeerlenN77 Heerlen - KerkradeN78 Maastricht - Heer - Margraten - VaalsN79 Maastricht - Meerssen - Valkenburg - Voerendaal - HeerlenN80 Maastricht - Heer - EijsdenN81 Maastricht - Oud Vroenhoven (southbound)N82 Maastricht - Oud Vroenhoven (northbound)

Modern additions (never signposted)

N83 Almere - Zeewolde - DrontenN84 Hoorn - Enkhuizen - Lelystad - HarderwijkN85 Purmerend - Almere (planned route into the discontinued Markerwaard polder)

The numbers 86, 87 and 88 are vacant, while 89 to 100 were used for the National N-Road route numbers.

See also

• Roads in the Netherlands

Notes & References

1. L.W. van der Veen, "Nederland in de Napoleontische tijd", in: 10.000 jaar Geschiedenis der Nederlanden, Leeuwarden 1985 (ch. 13).
2. M. Schroor, "Naar het moderne Nederland", op cit. (ch. 16)
3. Planned at a later date but was never realized. The current A10-motorway was based on the N0.

Other sources

Part of this article is translated from the Dutch Wikipedia page on this topic, retrieved on 14 July 2014: Rijksstraatweg - Wikipedia.
It lists two (Dutch language) paper sources, but lacks inline citations:

• Blok, D.P. e.a. red. (1981), De Algemene Geschiedenis der Nederlanden, deel 10, Bussum: Unieboek
• Frankema, Ewout en Peter Groote, De modernisering van het Nederlandse wegennet. Nieuwe perspectieven op de ontwikkeling voor 1940, NEHA deel 65 (2002) 305-328