page_title: Rijksstraatweg
hierarchical_section_title: Rijksstraatweg
caption_attribution_description: Nederlands: In de richting van Soest
context_page_description: Rijksstraatweg or simply Straatweg 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, 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.
context_section_description: 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. 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. 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).
caption: Amsterdamsestraatweg through Baarn (2013). Stately 19th century manors and a 21st-century cycle path.
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