The A44 motorway is a

motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

connecting the A4 with

Wassenaar Wassenaar (; population: in ) is a municipality and town located in the province of South Holland, on the western coast of the Netherlands. An affluent suburb of The Hague, Wassenaar lies north of that city on the N44/A44 highway near the Nort ...

. The route continues as main road N44 towards

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, providing an alternative link with

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

for the A4 motorway. The A44 also serves

Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...

and the Bollenstreek. The length of the A44 is , the N44 adds another making the total route long.Wegenwiki, A44
/ref>

Overview

Near Leimuiden, the A44 motorway splits from the A4 at Burgerveen interchange. Until the 1960s, the A4 followed the route of the current A44 passing

west. Then the new A4 was built east of the city creating a more direct route from Amsterdam to Rotterdam. The former A4 was eventually renumbered into A44. Both motorways are important arteries for

, where the A44 is primarily focused on the city center. The A44 is one of the oldest motorways of the country with parts dating from the 1930s. Small dimensions of the carriageway, narrow bridges and tight junctions are signs of outdated design. It is also remarkable that the A44 is one of the very few busy

Randstad The Randstad (; "Rim City" or "Edge City") is a roughly crescent- or Circular arc, arc-shaped conurbation in the Netherlands, that includes almost half the country's population. With a central-western location, it connects and comprises the Net ...

-motorways not being equipped with active traffic management nor lit for the major part. When leaving the Burgerveen interchange in the province of

North Holland North Holland (, ) is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht (province), Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevola ...

, the A44 runs through rural area known as the Bollenstreek. In Spring the fields fill up with coloured flowers. A few towns pass by and the motorway crosses the Ringvaart where it enters the province of

South Holland South Holland ( ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.8 million as of January 2023 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely populated areas. ...

. The surroundings of the A44 become more populated when approaching Leiden. The motorway ends a few kilometers south of Leiden in Wassenaar at an at-grade junction with

traffic light Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa, Zambia, and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order t ...

s. The route continues as major road N44, running through the wooded estates of Wassenaar towards The Hague. The N44 ends at the city limits of The Hague. Here, the route continues as city route s101 towards the city centre. A split-level interchange connects the N44 with the N14 (

Ring (The) Ring(s) may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV * ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...

Den Haag) towards

Leidschendam Leidschendam () is a town and former municipality in the province of South Holland of the Netherlands. Along with Voorburg and Stompwijk, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg. History The town's name has been in use for centurie ...

and the S200 (Ring Den Haag) towards

Scheveningen Scheveningen () is one of the eight districts of The Hague, Netherlands, as well as a subdistrict () of that city. Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long, sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is popular ...

Exit list

External links

References

{{Motorways in the Netherlands Motorways in the Netherlands Motorways in North Holland Motorways in South Holland