European route E314

E314
For most of its length the route of the E314 runs through north-east Belgium
Route information
Length	119 km (74 mi)
Major junctions
From	Leuven(Belgium)
To	Aachen(Germany)
Location
Countries	Belgium Netherlands Germany
Highway system
International E-road network A Class B Class

European routes in the Netherlands with E314 in dark green

The KikbeekEcoduct(wild life crossing point) nearGenkwas opened to animals in 2005.

TheEuropean route E314is a road inEuropeand a part of theUnited NationsInternational E-road network.Approximately 125 kilometers (78 mi) long, it connects theBelgianuniversity city ofLeuvenwithAachen,Charlemagne'scapital during the early ninth century, and today a bustling commercial centre inGermany'sNorth Rhine-Westphalia.

Three Nations

For most of its length the E314 is in Belgium where it tracks theA2.It then crosses briefly intoDutch Limburg,the most southerly province ofThe Netherlandsbefore an even briefer stretch between the Dutch-German frontier and Aachen: the German section tracks the start of theAutobahn A 4,which continues beyond Aachen all the way toGörlitz.

In Belgium the road is of standard autoroute quality with two lanes in each direction. The Dutch section includes a short six lane section but also the only part of the E314 of sub-autoroute quality, though even here the road uses a dual carriageway lay-out.

Highlights of the route

The junction with the north-south A2 Highway (here doubling with theE25) connectingMaastrichtwithAmsterdamis acloverleaf junction.

Between the end points, the road also serves the industrial city ofGenkwhereFordonce built theirMondeomodel. The Belgian section continues through theHoge Kempen National Park:in 2005 the KikbeekEcoductwas opened here, whereby the road runs through a short tunnel section above which wild life has space to cross the road in relative safety.

The Dutch section is noteworthy for the sight of a large chemical plant shortly after crossing the frontier from Belgium. In the Netherlands, near toHeerlen,the E414 also crosses the DutchA2 Highway,a major artery of the Dutch roadway network, connecting nearbyMaastrichtwith the heart of the country andAmsterdam.

Language changes

The area covered by this road has historically been at the border of three different linguistic regions. Place names on the E314 will be known to English speakers by different names according to when it was adopted into English language. Most known at the eastern end of the road isAachenstill known to English speakers (and in their nineteenth century literature) by its French name as "Aix" or "Aix-la-Chapelle", while road signs in Belgian Limburg eventually still mention the Dutch name "Aken".

At the western end of the roadLeuvenis located in the Dutch speaking region, although in foreign (French, English, German...) maps or literature "Louvain" (which has never been the city's official name) may still appear.

The route

E 314Leuven (Louvain) - Aachen (Aken, Aix la Chapelle)
State	National Road Number	Section	Junction (national numbering)	Pan Europeanroad connections
......Province
Brabant (Flemish) Limburg	A2	Leuven-Lummen	A 2Heverlee A 215Leuven A 216Gasthuisberg A 217Winksele A 218Herent A 219 (Exit closed) A 220Wilsele A 221Holsbeek A 2Wezemaal A 222Aarschot A 223Tielt-Winge A 224Bekkevoort A 225Halen A 226Lummencentre A 2Lummen	E40 E313
Limburg	A2	Lummen-Maasmechelen	A 227Zolder-Terlaemen A 228Zolder A 229Houthalen-Helchteren A 230Park Midden-Limburg A 231Genkcentre A 232Genkeast A 233Maasmechelen
......Province
Limburg	A76	Maasmechelen-Kerensheide	A 761Stein A 76Kerensheide	E25
Limburg	A76	Kerensheide-Simpelveld	A 762Geleen A 763Spaubeek A 764Schinnen A 765Nuth A 76Ten Esschen A 766Voerendaal A 76Kunderberg A 767Simpelveld
Limburg	A76	Simpelveld-Bocholtz	A 76Bocholtz
...District(Kreis)
AC	A 4	Bocholtz-Aachen	A 4Bocholtz A 42Aachen-Laurensberg A 43Aachencentre A 44KreuzAachen	E40

External links

• UN Economic Commission for Europe: Overall Map of E-road Network (2007)