International E-road network

E-Road Network over 1990 borders
Approximate extent of completed motorway network in Europe as of May 2014

The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E 1 up and its roads cross national borders. It also reaches Central Asian countries like Kyrgyzstan, since they are members of the UNECE.

European main international traffic arteries are defined by ECE/TRANS/SC.1/384 which consider three types of roads: motorways, express roads, and ordinary roads.

In most countries, roads carry the European route designation beside national road numbers. Other countries like Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Sweden have roads with exclusive European route signage (Examples: E 18 and E 6) while at the other end of the scale, British road signs do not show the routes at all.

Other continents have similar international road networks, e.g., the Pan-American Highway in the Americas, the Trans-African Highway network, and the Asian Highway Network.

History

E3 in Denmark, before 1992: Changed to E45; the number E3 was re-attributed.

UNECE was formed in 1947, and their first major act to improve transport was a joint UN declaration no. 1264, the Declaration on the Construction of Main International Traffic Arteries,[1][2] signed in Geneva on September 16, 1950, which defined the first E-road network. Originally it was envisaged that the E-road network would be a motorway system comparable to the US Interstate Highway System.[3] The declaration was amended several times before November 15, 1975, when it was replaced by the European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries or "AGR",[4] which set up a route numbering system and improved standards for roads in the list. The AGR last went through a major change in 1992 and in 2001 was extended into Central Asia to include the Caucausus nations.[3] There were several minor revisions since, last in 2008 (as of 2009).

Numbering system

European Route Sign. This sign is used on the E 40.
Intersection of E 42 and E 451 near Frankfurt Airport

The route numbering system is as follows:[4]

Exceptions

In the first established and approved version, the road numbers were well ordered. Since then a number of exceptions to this principle have been allowed.

Two Class-A roads, namely E 47 and E 55, have been allowed to retain their pre-1992 numbers, E 6 and E 4 respectively, within Sweden and Norway. These exceptions were granted because of the excessive expense connected with re-signing not only the long routes themselves, but also the associated road network in the area, since Sweden and Norway have integrated the E-roads into their national networks and they are signposted as any other national route. These roads maintain their new numbers from Denmark and southward, though, as do other European routes within Scandinavia.

Further exceptions are E 67, going from Finland to Czech Republic (wrong side of E 75 and E 77), assigned around year 2000, simply because it was best available number for this new route, most of E 63 in Finland (wrong side of E 75) E 8 in Finland (partly on the wrong side of E 12 after a lengthening around 2002) and E 82 (Spain and Portugal, wrong side of E 80). These irregularities exist just because it is hard to maintain good order when extending the network, and the UNECE does not want to change road numbers unnecessarily.

Because the Socialist People's Republic of Albania refused to participate in international treaties such as the AGR, it was conspicuously excluded from the route scheme, with E 65 and E 90 making noticeable detours to go around it. In the 1990s, Albania opened up to the rest of Europe, but only ratified the AGR in August 2006, so its integration into the E-road network remains weak.

Signage

E30

Where the European routes are signed, green signs with white numbers are used.

The E 201 in Ireland.

There are different strategies for determining how frequently to signpost the roads.

Road design standards

The following design standards should be applied to Euroroutes unless there are exceptional circumstances (such as mountain passes etc.):[4]

These requirements are meant to be followed for road construction. When new E-roads have been added these requirements have not been followed stringently. For example, the E 45 in Sweden, added in 2006, has long parts with 6 m (20 ft) width or the E 22 in eastern Europe forcing drivers to slow down to 30 km/h by taking the route through villages. In Norway, parts of the E 10 are 5 m (16 ft) wide and in Central Asia some gravel roads have even been included.

List of roads

Notes to the listings

In the road listings below,[4] a dash ('–') indicates a land road connection between two towns/cities—the normal case—while an ellipsis ('…') denotes a stretch across water. There aren't ferry connections at all of these places and operating ferry connections are usually run by private companies without support from the respective governments, i.e. may cease operating at any time.

A Class roads

The E-road network in Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. However, the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan is closed due to strained relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The E-road network in Belarus.
The E-road network in Belgium.
The E-road network in Bulgaria.
The E-road network in Finland.
The E-road network in Germany.
The E-road network in the Netherlands.
The E-road network in Poland.
The E-road network in Romania.
The E-road network in Turkey.
The E-road network in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

North-South reference

West-East reference

North-South intermediate

West-East intermediate

B Class roads

Notable E-roads

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to International E-road network.

References

  1. "Declaration on the Construction of Main International Traffic Arteries, signed at Geneva" (PDF). United Nations - Treaty Series. 16 September 1950. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
  2. "Declaration on the Construction of Main International Traffic Arteries, signed at Geneva" (PDF). United Nations - Treaty Series. 16 September 1950. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  3. 1 2 "E-Roads". Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "European Agreement on Main International Traffic Arteries" (PDF). United Nations Economic and Social Council. 14 March 2008. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
  5. "Statutory Instrument 2002 No. 3113: The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002". HMSO. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
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