Knooppunt Gouwe

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Knooppunt Gouwe
A12 A20
map
General map of Knooppunt Gouwe
location
Country: Netherlands
Provinces : Province of Zuid-Holland
Coordinates: 52 ° 1 '20 "  N , 4 ° 39' 15"  E Coordinates: 52 ° 1 '20 "  N , 4 ° 39' 15"  E
Height: 2  m below  sea ​​level
Basic data
Design type: crotch
Bridges: 1 (motorway) / 3 (other)
Construction year: 1962

The Knooppunt Gouwe is a motorway triangle in the Dutch province of South Holland in the south of the municipality of Waddinxveen near Gouda . It connects Rijksweg 12 (A12: Oberhausen - Arnhem - Utrecht - The Hague ) with Rijksweg 20 (A20: Hoek van Holland - Rotterdam - Gouda ).

The motorway triangle is named after the Gouwe River flowing east of the junction through Gouda . The Gouwe Aquaduct of the same name is named after the river , which leads the A12 east of the junction under the river.

history

The Knooppunt Gouwe in 1992

The junction was opened to traffic in 1962 with the opening of Rijksweg 3 (today A20) between Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel and Gouda. In 1976, with the restructuring of the Dutch transport network, Rijksweg 3 was renamed Rijksweg 20. In the 1970s, the A12 was extended east of the triangle and at the same time the bascule bridge over the Gouwe was replaced by an aqueduct , which was opened in 1981.

By January 18, 2010, the A12 west of the junction to Zoetermeer was widened to six lanes and on December 1, 2010, the extension of the A12 east of the triangle to Woerden was opened to eight lanes.

Design

The motorway triangle is built as a fork . As is usual with a fork, it is only possible to change to another motorway in one direction. From Rotterdam you can only drive in the direction of Utrecht and not in the direction of The Hague. In order to still be able to drive towards The Hague, you should either drive on the A13 from Rotterdam or use the N219 from Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel to join the A12 in the direction of The Hague.

Both connecting ramps in the triangle are two-lane, which is why the A20 south of the triangle will be four-lane. The A12 has eight lanes east of the junction and six lanes west of the junction.