Landesstraße

Landesstraßen (singular: Landesstraße) are roads in Germany and Austria that are, as a rule, the responsibility of the respective German or Austrian federal state. The term may therefore be translated as "state road". They are roads that cross the boundary of a rural or urban district (Landkreis or Kreisfreie Stadt). A Landesstraße is thus less important than a Bundesstraße or federal road, but more significant than a Kreisstraße or district road. The classification of a road as a Landesstraße is a legal matter (Widmung). In the free states of Bavaria and Saxony – but not, however, in the Free State of Thuringia – Landesstraßen are known as Staatsstraßen.

The abbreviation for a Landesstraße consists of a prefixed capital letter L and a serial number (e. g. L 1, L 83, L 262 or L 3190). Staatsstraßen in Saxony are similarly abbreviated using a capital S (e. g. S 190) and the Staatsstraßen in Bavaria are prefixed with the letters St (e. g. St 2108).

The kilometrage is shown on white signs by the roadside with black letters, known as location signs (Stationszeichen), that replace the former kilometre stones. The beginning and end of a Landesstraße is specified using so-called hub (Netzknoten) numbers. That makes its location unambiguous, which is important for rapid assistance when there is an accident, for example. The hub numbers are displayed on the upper part of the sign and also indicate their direction. In the example in the photograph, therefore No. 6608 039 is left of the sign 6608 023 to the right. In the bottom right-hand corner of the sign can be seen the so-called Stationierungsrichtung or direction of signage. It runs in the example from right to left and indicates in which direction the road kilometres are counted.

In Lower Saxony, this new system has been in place since 2007 and divides the Landestraßen into sections numbered 10, 20, etc. The location signs (Stationszeichen) comprise two panels. The location panel (Stationierungstafel) displays the name of the state (Niedersachsen) and county letters (e.g. Kreis WF) at the top, and the road letter and number below (e.g. L 627). The classification panel (Klassifizierungstafel) shows the section number, kilometrage and direction of the start hub (e.g. 10 Abschnitt and 2,0 → 0,0). The letters OD indicate a location post within a town or village and may be displayed in places other than on a white post. By the end of 2008, almost all the 8,000 kilometre posts on Lower Saxony's Landesstraßen had been replaced.

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