Existed: May 29, 1951 – present South end: Ommen Provinces Drenthe, Overijssel | North end: De Punt Length 88 km | |
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Provincial road N34 is a Dutch provincial road that links the N340 near Ommen, Overijssel to Rijksweg 28 near De Punt, Drenthe. Most parts of the road (from Hardenberg to De Punt) is a freeway, of which the part between Holsloot and Emmen-west (formerly known as Emmen-zuid) consists of two lanes in each direction.
Contents
Map of N34, Netherlands
Route description
The N34 starts in the north in De Punt where it cuts off from the A28 in the province Drenthe and ends in the south in Ommen where it continues as the N340 in the province of Overijssel. At the White Pole between Ommen and Hardenberg, the N36 joins the N34. At the grade-separated Interchange Holsloot, the A37 crosses the N34, also the N33 crosses the N34 with roads that are grade-separated. The most important cities alongside the N34 are Ommen, Hardenberg, Coevorden, Emmen, Borger, Gieten, Annen and Zuidlaren.
History
The route of the N34 has a steeped history. There has been a road for centuries that connects the same locations as the N34 does. This is mainly because a large part of the road is located on the Hondsrug. This ridge crossed above the swamps that were on either side, and habitation was mainly concentrated on the Hondsrug. In 2010 the N34 was rerouted around Ommen to reduce the traffic load in the city and the hamlet of Hoogengraven; the road used to go through Ommen.
The interchange with the N33 used to be a roundabout, but because this is the provincial road with the most accidents by date and especially that crossing, Rijkswaterstaat decided to make it a grade-separated interchange; this also resulted in a better flow of traffic. To make space for this interchange, an oak grove had to be cut down. The trees have been cut by Rijkswaterstaat, despite opposition from residents that went to the Council of State of the Netherlands, but lost the case.