This is a new impression of the Afsluitdijk. It is a visually drawn road with a few cars. On the left you see a grass dike. You will see a cycle path on it. You can see water on both sides of the road.
This is a new impression of the Afsluitdijk. It is a visually drawn road with a few cars. On the left you see a grass dike. You will see a cycle path on it. You can see water on both sides of the road.

Improving A7 road surface

Ready
The motorway (A7) on the Afsluitdijk is an important connection between the provinces of North Holland and Friesland. Approximately 20,000 vehicles drive here every day. Since we will be reinforcing and raising the Afsluitdijk, we will also renovate the motorway. There will be broader emergency lanes for increased safety, a new road profile and new asphalt.

Why

The road must be renovated for the purposes of traffic safety. The road has a small emergency lane with a width of 2.8 metres on both sides, but the current standard is 3.5 metres. Because the road is locked in between the IJsselmeer (also known as Lake IJssel) and the dike, the emergency lanes cannot be widened easily. We create space for broader emergency lanes by reducing the width of  the central reserve, which is possible by placing an innovative guardrail. Because we will be paving the central reserve, it will no longer be able to capture any precipitation (rain, snow, and hail). This water will be drained to the IJsselmeer using a new rainwater discharge system below the road surface.

Impression of the guide rail. You see a black road. With a gray rail around the road.

How

We will use the space of the central reserve to increase the width of the emergency lanes. A new rainwater discharge system had to be designed because of the paving of the central reserve and the new road profile: Instead of a twin convex profile, whereby both lanes taper at a slight transversal slope as a result of which the rainwater flows to the sides, as well as to the central reserve, the A7 lanes will have a single convex profile. The  central reserve will be at the same height as the highest point of the road. The rainwater will not flow to the central reserve, but only to the left and right sides of the road. The rainwater will subsequently flow to the IJsselmeer below the road surface using a completely new rainwater discharge system.

Innovative guardrail

Because the width of the  central reserve will be reduced and the traffic will be closer to the other lane, a new type of guardrail has been developed specifically for the Afsluitdijk. The design has been tested using various simulations and live crash tests with various vehicles.

CO2 reduction


We will use Low Energy Asphalt Concrete for the new road profile. This type of  asphalt is produced at a temperature which is over 30 per cent lower than traditionally produced asphalt. This leads to energy savings and a reduction in CO2 emissions.

When

The work on the road surface has started in 2020 and has been completed in 2022.