Rijksweg

Rijksweg, translated as national or state road, is a Dutch term for major roads that were designated and maintained by the national government. Historically, the Rijksweg network formed the core of the Netherlands’ national road system and served as the principal through routes connecting cities and regions. The designation reflected the importance of these roads for national mobility, economic integration, and strategic connectivity.

The concept dates from the era when the state took primary responsibility for building and maintaining key long-distance routes. With the growth of the motorway system in the mid-to-late 20th century, the Rijksweg network was gradually integrated into the modern classification framework that uses A for motorways and N for important national roads. As a result, many former Rijksweg routes were upgraded to motorways (receiving A-designations) or retained as primary national roads with N-numbers. Today, the term Rijksweg is largely historical and appears mainly in older maps, legal texts, and discussions of the road network’s development.

In contemporary practice, the national road system is managed by Rijkswaterstaat, an agency within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. The agency is responsible for planning, construction, maintenance, and safety across the national network, including both motorways and significant non-motorway routes. The shift from the historic Rijksweg designation to the A/N framework reflects standardization and modernization of road management while preserving the underlying aim of ensuring nationwide, reliable road connections.