# A12 motorway (Netherlands)

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

## The A12 near 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).

## 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.

## 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 Netherlands | South Holland | The Hague | 2 | 1.2 | 2 | Juliana van Stolberglaan / Prins Bernhardviaduct | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | The Hague / Leidschendam-Voorburg municipality line | 3 | 1.9 | 3 | Schenkkade | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | Leidschendam-Voorburg | 5 | 3.1 | 4 | S 108 southwest (Maanweg) / Prins Bernhardlaan – Rijswijk, Voorburg | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | The Hague | 6 | 3.7 | — | E19 / E30 / A 4 | West end of E 30 overlap |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | The Hague | 7 | 4.3 | 5 | Donau / Koning Willem-Alexanderviaduct | |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | Zoetermeer | 13 | 8.1 | 6 | Zuidweg / Afrikaweg | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | Zoetermeer | 16 | 9.9 | 7 | N 470 | |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | Lansingerland | 18 | 11 | 8 | N 209 | |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | Zuidplas | 23 | 14 | 9 | N 219 | |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | Waddinxveen | 27 | 17 | — | E25 / A 20 | West end of E 25 overlap; eastbound entrance and westbound exit only |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | Waddinxveen | 29 | 18 | 11 | N 452 | |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | Bodegraven-Reeuwijk | 33 | 21 | 12 | N 459 | |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | Bodegraven-Reeuwijk | 35 | 22 | 12a | N 11 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only |
| The Netherlands | South Holland | Bodegraven-Reeuwijk | 39 | 24 | 13 | Molendijk / Verlengde Tuurluur | |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Woerden | 46 | 29 | 14 | N 204 | |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Woerden | 51 | 32 | 14a | N 419 | |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Utrecht | 54 | 34 | 15 | N 198 / N 228 | |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Utrecht | 57 | 35 | — | E25 / E35 / A 2 | East end of E 25 overlap; west end of E 35 overlap |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Utrecht | 59 | 37 | 16 | Papendorpseweg | |
| The Netherlands | Amsterdam–Rhine Canal | Amsterdam–Rhine Canal | | | Galecopperbrug | Galecopperbrug | Galecopperbrug |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Utrecht | 60 | 37 | 17 | Europalaan | |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Utrecht | 61 | 38 | 18 | N 408 south (Laagravenseweg) / Waterlinieweg – Nieuwegein, Utrecht | |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Utrecht | 62 | 39 | — | E30 / E311 / A 27 | East end of E 30 overlap |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Bunnik | | | De Forten rest area Eastbound exit and entrance only | De Forten rest area Eastbound exit and entrance only | De Forten rest area Eastbound exit and entrance only |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Bunnik | 68 | 42 | 19 | N 229 south (Schoudermantel) / Baan van Fectio – Bunnik, Odijk | |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Utrechtse Heuvelrug | 71 | 44 | 20 | N 225 east (Hoofdstraat) – Driebergen, Zeist | |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Utrechtse Heuvelrug | 77 | 48 | 21 | N 227 – Maarn, Doorn | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Utrechtse Heuvelrug | 81 | 50 | 22 | N 226 (Woudenbergseweg) – Maarsbergen, Woudenberg, Leersum | |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Utrechtse Heuvelrug | | | Bloemheuvel rest area eastbound Oudenhorst rest area westbound | Bloemheuvel rest area eastbound Oudenhorst rest area westbound | Bloemheuvel rest area eastbound Oudenhorst rest area westbound |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht | Renswoude / Veenendaal municipality line | 92 | 57 | 23 | N 418 north (Nieuweweg-Noord) / Rondweg-West – Veenendaal | |
| The Netherlands | Utrecht / Gelderland province line | Veenendaal / Ede municipality line | 104 | 65 | 23a | N 233 south (Rondweg-Oost) / Rondweg De Klomp – Veenendaal | |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Ede | 107 | 66 | — | A 30 north – Ede | |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Ede | 109 | 68 | 24 | N 781 south (Dr. W. Dreeslaan) – Ede, Bennekom | |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Ede | | | Buunderkamp rest area eastbound 't Ginkelse Zand rest area westbound | Buunderkamp rest area eastbound 't Ginkelse Zand rest area westbound | Buunderkamp rest area eastbound 't Ginkelse Zand rest area westbound |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Ede | 120 | 75 | 25 | N 224 (Verlengde Arnhemseweg / Amsterdamseweg) – Ede, Arnhem | |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Arnhem | 121 | 75 | — | A 50 south – Heelsum | West end of A50 overlap |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Arnhem | | | De Schaars rest area Westbound exit and entrance only | De Schaars rest area Westbound exit and entrance only | De Schaars rest area Westbound exit and entrance only |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Arnhem | 128 | 80 | — | A 50 north (Delhuijzenweg) – Beekbergen | East end of A50 overlap |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Arnhem | 129 | 80 | 26 | N 784 (Apeldoornseweg) – Arnhem | |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Arnhem | 134 | 83 | — | A 348 east (IJsselweg) / N 325 west (IJsseloordweg) – Rheden, Arnhem | |
| The Netherlands | IJssel | IJssel | | | IJsselbrug | IJsselbrug | IJsselbrug |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Duiven | 136 | 85 | 27 | N 338 east (Rivierweg) – Lathum, Westervoort | |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Duiven | 138 | 86 | 28 | N 810 south (Noordsingel) – Duiven | |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Duiven | | | Oudbroeken rest area eastbound Aalburgen rest area westbound | Oudbroeken rest area eastbound Aalburgen rest area westbound | Oudbroeken rest area eastbound Aalburgen rest area westbound |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Zevenaar | 143 | 89 | 29 | N 813 east (Nieuwe Steeg / Tatelaarsweg) / N 336 (Doesburgseweg) – Didam, Zevenaar | |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Zevenaar | 147 | 91 | — | A 18 east – Didam | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance only |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Zevenaar | 149 | 93 | 30 | N 812 (Beekseweg) – Babberich, Beek | |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Zevenaar | | | 2theloo rest area Northbound exit and entrance only | 2theloo rest area Northbound exit and entrance only | 2theloo rest area Northbound exit and entrance only |
| The Netherlands | Gelderland | Zevenaar | | | — | E35 / 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 ||||||||