TAKE THE E40 TO CHINA

  • Jun 9, 2022
  •  – 2 min read

Driving virtually anywhere in Europe, we see the discreet green-and-white signs every day. We know they are referring to the great pan-European road network. But did you know what it takes to be classified as an E road? How the numbers are chosen? Or that you can drive the E40 from Calais in France to Kirgizstan, near the Chinese border?

Here are some odd facts to help you flaunt your deep international motorist expertise:

Who came up with the E-road idea, and why?

The E-road numbering system was developed by the UN Economic Commission soon after World War II. Increasing cross-border traffic called for a system providing common, instant, easy-to-grasp information about the varying quality and capacity of the roads. It’s by no means unique. Similar concepts have been applied for the Pan-American Highway, the Trans-African Highway, and the Asian Highway Network, too.

What does the E prefix imply about road standards?

The extensive list of required standards includes, for example, that E roads should preferably be motorways or express roads designed for speeds of at least 80 km/hr (50 mph), motorways at least 120 km/hour (75 mph).

Overhead clearance should be no less than 4.5 m(15 ft), and railway crossings should be at separate levels. If you wish to dig deeper into the finer points of “the radius of curved road sections”, or “stopping distance visibility#, please proceed to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_E-road_network 

What do the numbers imply?

In principle, north-south roads have odd numbers, and east-west roads have even numbers, but there are several exceptions. The main ones may be E4 and E6, both north-south bound.

The numbers progress from north to south, and from west to east.

Numbers 1 to 129 are reserved for “Class A” roads.

Which countries are included?

Outside Europe, E road numbering extends eastwards into UNECE member countries in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan).

The longest E-road, E40, totals some 8,000 kilometers (4,971 miles. The road connects the French coastal city Calais at the English Channel with the town of Ridder in north-eastern Kazakhstan, near the border with China. Before you go: Tripadvisor offers 20 reviews of Ridder hotels, restaurants, and attractions.

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