A12 (Netherlands)

A 12
A 12
Rijksweg 12 (Dutch)
	Location of the A12 motorway
Major junctions
West end	The Hague
East end	Lobith
Location
Country	Kingdom of the Netherlands
Constituent country	Netherlands
Provinces	South Holland, Utrecht, Gelderland
Highway system
	Roads in the Netherlands; Motorways; E-roads; Provincial; City routes;

Interchange motorway A12 (km 6, mi 3,7) to A4 motorway via 5 bridges: Knooppunt Prins Clausplein

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

European routes

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

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

The A12 near The Hague

A12 as highway in The Hague.

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

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

'Branding' controversy

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

A12 blockade

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

Exit list

Country	Province	Municipality	km	mi	Exit	Destinations	Notes
The Netherlands	South Holland	The Hague	1	0.62	1	N 44 northeast (Benoordenhoutseweg) / S 101 (Zuid Hollandlaan / Benoordenhoutseweg) – Wassenaar, Scheveningen
		The Hague	2	1.2	2	Juliana van Stolberglaan / Prins Bernhardviaduct	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		The Hague / Leidschendam-Voorburg municipality line	3	1.9	3	Schenkkade	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
		Leidschendam-Voorburg	5	3.1	4	S 108 southwest (Maanweg) / Prins Bernhardlaan – Rijswijk, Voorburg	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
		The Hague	6	3.7	—	E 19 / E 30 / A 4	West end of E 30 overlap
		The Hague	7	4.3	5	Donau / Koning Willem-Alexanderviaduct
		Zoetermeer	13	8.1	6	Zuidweg / Afrikaweg	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
		Zoetermeer	16	9.9	7	N 470
		Lansingerland	18	11	8	N 209
		Zuidplas	23	14	9	N 219
		Waddinxveen	27	17	—	E 25 / A 20	West end of E 25 overlap; eastbound entrance and westbound exit only
		Waddinxveen	29	18	11	N 452
		Bodegraven-Reeuwijk	33	21	12	N 459
			35	22	12a	N 11	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only
			39	24	13	Molendijk / Verlengde Tuurluur
	Utrecht	Woerden	46	29	14	N 204
		Woerden	51	32	14a	N 419
		Utrecht	54	34	15	N 198 / N 228
			57	35	—	E 25 / E 35 / A 2	East end of E 25 overlap; west end of E 35 overlap
			59	37	16	Papendorpseweg
	Amsterdam–Rhine Canal				Galecopperbrug
	Utrecht	Utrecht	60	37	17	Europalaan
			61	38	18	N 408 south (Laagravenseweg) / Waterlinieweg – Nieuwegein, Utrecht
			62	39	—	E 30 / E 311 / A 27	East end of E 30 overlap
		Bunnik			De Forten rest area Eastbound exit and entrance only
		Bunnik	68	42	19	N 229 south (Schoudermantel) / Baan van Fectio – Bunnik, Odijk
		Utrechtse Heuvelrug	71	44	20	N 225 east (Hoofdstraat) – Driebergen, Zeist
			77	48	21	N 227 – Maarn, Doorn	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
			81	50	22	N 226 (Woudenbergseweg) – Maarsbergen, Woudenberg, Leersum
					Bloemheuvel rest area eastbound Oudenhorst rest area westbound
		Renswoude / Veenendaal municipality line	92	57	23	N 418 north (Nieuweweg-Noord) / Rondweg-West – Veenendaal
	Utrecht / Gelderland province line	Veenendaal / Ede municipality line	104	65	23a	N 233 south (Rondweg-Oost) / Rondweg De Klomp – Veenendaal
	Gelderland	Ede	107	66	—	A 30 north – Ede
			109	68	24	N 781 south (Dr. W. Dreeslaan) – Ede, Bennekom
					Buunderkamp rest area eastbound 't Ginkelse Zand rest area westbound
			120	75	25	N 224 (Verlengde Arnhemseweg / Amsterdamseweg) – Ede, Arnhem
		Arnhem	121	75	—	A 50 south – Heelsum	West end of A50 overlap
					De Schaars rest area Westbound exit and entrance only
			128	80	—	A 50 north (Delhuijzenweg) – Beekbergen	East end of A50 overlap
			129	80	26	N 784 (Apeldoornseweg) – Arnhem
			134	83	—	A 348 east (IJsselweg) / N 325 west (IJsseloordweg) – Rheden, Arnhem
	IJssel				IJsselbrug
	Gelderland	Duiven	136	85	27	N 338 east (Rivierweg) – Lathum, Westervoort
			138	86	28	N 810 south (Noordsingel) – Duiven
					Oudbroeken rest area eastbound Aalburgen rest area westbound
		Zevenaar	143	89	29	N 813 east (Nieuwe Steeg / Tatelaarsweg) / N 336 (Doesburgseweg) – Didam, Zevenaar
			147	91	—	A 18 east – Didam	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only
			149	93	30	N 812 (Beekseweg) – Babberich, Beek
					2theloo rest area Northbound exit and entrance only
					—	E 35 / A 3 east – Babberich, Elten	Border with Germany; this road continues as the German A 3; east end of E 35 overlap
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access