From: Cork (Ireland) | Length 5,800 km | |
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Countries: Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Russia Highway system International E-road network Major cities Berlin, Warsaw, Moscow, Minsk, The Hague, Hanover, Amersfoort, Utrecht, Bristol, Ipswich | ||
European route E 30 is an A-Class West-East European route, extending from the southern Irish port of Cork in the west to the Russian city of Omsk in the east. For much of its Russian stretch, it coincides with Trans-Siberian Highway and, east of the Ural Mountains, with AH6 of the Asian Highway Network, which continues to Busan, South Korea. This route is approximately 6,500 kilometres (4,000 mi).
Contents
- Map of E30 Ireland
- History
- Itinerary
- E30 in the United Kingdom
- Felixstowe London
- London
- M4 Corridor London Bristol
- M4 Corridor Bristol Pont Abraham
- Pont Abraham Fishguard
- Trivia
- References
Map of E30, Ireland
History
The E 30 is one of the longest European routes with a total length of about 5,800 km (3,600 mi)—3,300 km (2,100 mi) from Cork to Moscow, and 2,500 km (1,600 mi) from Moscow to Omsk. The naming is by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
Formerly the route only went from Cork to Samara, with an often reported length of 4,912 km (3,052 mi).
Formerly, before 1985, this was the E 8 (London–Berlin–Brest).
Itinerary
Although the United Kingdom Government participates fully in activities concerning the E-routes, E-routes are not signposted within the United Kingdom.
The nearest passenger ferries to Hoek van Holland actually depart from Harwich, across the Orwell south of Felixstowe. That ferry has 2 daily departures, one is a day crossing, the other a night crossing, both taking about 7–8 hours. It carries foot (train) passengers and cyclists as well as cars, buses, caravans and freight lorries.The ferry has bunks and rooms available to accommodate those on either crossing. Tickets for Dutch rail travel can be purchased on the ship. Ferries departing from Felixstowe carry freight only.
The Russian stretch of this road coincides partly with the Asian Highway Network's AH6 (though this latter highway passes through Petropavl, Kazakhstan in its stretch between Chelyabinsk and Omsk, unlike the E 30). The E 30 follows the Russian main road M1 Belarus-Moscow, M5 Moscow-Chelyabinsk and M51 Chelyabinsk-Kurgan. It goes along minor roads past Ishim to avoid the Kazak border towards Omsk.
E30 in the United Kingdom
Throughout the United Kingdom, the Euroroute network is largely unsigned. The UK's withdrawral from the European Union, as expressed in the so-called Brexit vote on the 24th June 2016, is not intended to affect the denomination or development of Euroroutes which cross the United Kingdom. This is because the Brexit vote provides no mandate for withdrawing from the UNECE, the international body which coordinates the scheme. The Euroroute E30 will be subject to the same fate as other Euroroutes which run through the country, however, the UK is currently participating in the European Routes scheme.
The E30 is an important coast-to-coast corridor in the UK, running for approximately 355 miles between Felixtowe in the East and Fishguard in the West. The E30 mainly uses primary routes and motorways across the UK.
Felixstowe - London
On mainland Europe, the E30 terminates at Hoek-van-Holland, where a ferry link would be required to cross the North Sea into the UK. The E30 resumes in the UK in Felixstowe, Suffolk. The Port of Felixstowe serves as a major UK freight port, with limited passenger operations present. In 2014, Felixstowe handled 28.1 megatonnes of freight, demonstrating the importance of the port within UK import and export sectors, as well as within sectors responsible for the development of UK road infrastructure concerning the E30.
Between Felixstowe and London, the E30 takes the following route (North-South):
The A14, A12 and M25 are operated by the central government of the UK, under the Highways England arm of Department for Transport.
London
The E30 avoids travelling through the centre of London, but instead uses the M25 to the north of London, London's orbtal route, between junctions 28 and 15.
Major connections and destinations are listed below. Bolded destinations are along the E30 route:
To the west, the E30 merges with the M25 at junction 15 for the M4.
Junction 15 also serves as a major connection to London Heathrow Airport.
M4 Corridor: London - Bristol
To the west of London, the E30 uses the M4 motorway to the West of England. The destinations along this route are linked as part of the M4 corridor, named "Britain's Science Corridor" by the New York Times upon its inception in 1983. This is because the destinations along the M4 route have become "hubs for the UK bases of major global high-tech companies."
The London to Bristol route largely follows that of the Great Western Main Line, which serves as a major infrastructural passenger and freight route between some of the destinations along this section of the E30.
Major destinations along this route include:
M4 Corridor: Bristol - Pont Abraham
West of Bristol, the E30 crosses the River Severn over the Second Severn Crossing. When this is not in use, the Severn Bridge may be used as an alternative, albeit longer route to cross from England into Wales. Both crossings require a toll payment to traffic travelling Westbound into Wales, although there is no charge for traffic travelling Eastwards.
In Wales, the roads which carry the E30 are managed by the South Wales Trunk Roads Agency, rather than Highways England.
The E30 serves several major industrial destinations in Wales which are largely an extension of "Britain's Science Corridor". These include:
Chepstow is not directly accessible from the E30, however, it is home to several scientific research centres, for example, CreoMedical, a firm which develops medical technologies for hospitals across the UK. The E30 would serve as important infrastructure to such businesses to transport Welsh scientific development across Europe.
Newport, Cardiff, Port Talbot, Swansea and Llanelli are coastal destinations with sea links. ABP maintains a presence at some of these destinations (not Llanelli, additionally at Barry), and handles over 12 million tonnes of freight each year, contributing over £1.5billion to the economy. This has been developed thanks to the historic development of infrastructure relating to the South Wales Valleys mining industry in the 20th Century, which has since declined in recent decades with the rising imports of foreign oil. This can be shown in the closure of South Wales' last deep mine in 1994.
Cardiff is the capital city of Wales and serves as Wales centre for governance, business and culture. The devolved government of Wales is housed in Cardiff Bay.
In November 2016, David Rowlands AM (UKIP) who supported a Brexit vote, argued that the Welsh Government should use trans-European Highways Access funds to maintain the M4 following the UK's departure from the EU. This would be in addition to those which Wales have already received to develop the M4 motorway in Wales. He justified his viewpoint by claiming that a "large proportion of all Irish exports, both to the UK and the EU, pass along" this route. Rowlands' viewpoint was regarded as ironic by his colleagues and fellow Assembly Members, and First Minister Carwyn Jones maintained the viewpoint that it was the Welsh Government's responsibility to pay for the upkeep of the M4 motorway.
Pont Abraham - Fishguard
The E30 is carried by the A48 and A40 between Pont Abraham - the Western terminal of the M4 - and the Port of Fishguard.
Destinations along the A40 are:
At Fishguard, sea connections can be made to Ireland.
Trivia
In the years 1988-1994, a travel agency in the Netherlands, called E30, organized trips with a camper-touring car along the E30, starting at Utrecht and with stops in Berlin, Warsaw, Minsk, Smolensk and end destination Moscow.