Roads in Portugal are defined by the Plano Rodoviário Nacional (PRN, en, National Road Plan), which describes the existing and planned network of Portuguese roads. The present plan in force is the 2000 National Road Plan (PRN 2000), approved in 1998. It replaced PRN 1985, which itself had replaced PRN 1945.
The Portuguese road infrastructure was considered the best in Europe and the second best in the world by the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
in its ''Global Competitiveness Report for 2014–2015''. In the 2017–2018 report, it was considered to 8th best in the world. Nevertheless, all of these data were obtained through nothing more than an opinion survey of selected business executives.
The scenic road between
Peso da Régua
:''Regua leads here. For American major general, see Eldon Regua''
Peso da Régua (), commonly known as Régua, is a municipality in northern Portugal, in the district of Vila Real. The population in 2011 was 17,131 (of which approximately 10,000 a ...
and
Pinhão, in
Trás-os-Montes
Trás-os-Montes () is a geographical, historical and cultural region of Portugal.
Portuguese for "behind the mountains", Trás-os-Montes is located northeast of the country in an upland area, landlocked by the Douro and Tâmega rivers to south a ...
region, was considered the world's best driving road, according to the Avis Driving Index. This road is a section of the N 222 which follows the
Douro Valley
The Comunidade Intermunicipal do Douro () is an administrative division in Portugal. It replaced the ''Comunidade Urbana do Douro'', created in 2004. It takes its name from the Douro River. The seat of the intermunicipal community is Vila Real. D ...
.
History of road classification in Portugal
First road plans
The first road plans in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
date back from 1843 and 1848, and were based on 18th century plans which prioritized connections between
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
and strategic points of the country, and as a support for
fluvial routes. The planned network was classified in 1850 into ''estradas'' (roads) and ''caminhos'' (paths), with the ''estradas'' being classified as 1st and 2nd class. ''Caminhos'' were routes of merely local interest.
In 1862, the existing and planned roads were classified as 1st class roads or ''estradas reais'' (royal roads), 2nd class roads or ''estradas distritais'' (district roads), and ''estradas municipais'' (municipal roads). The ''estradas reais'' were those with direct or indirect (via railways, for instance) origin in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
and were managed by the State. The ''estradas distritais'' were managed by the
districts
A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...
while ''estradas municipais'' were managed by the
municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
.
With the abolition of the monarchy in 1910, the ''estradas reais'' were renamed ''estradas nacionais'' (national roads).
In 1913, the Law of 22 February established a commission to study a new classification of the roads and propose guidelines to establish that classification. However, despite these efforts, many
routes
Route or routes may refer to:
* Route (gridiron football), a path run by a wide receiver
* route (command), a program used to configure the routing table
* Route, County Antrim, an area in Northern Ireland
* ''The Route'', a 2013 Ugandan film
* Ro ...
were not clearly classified and the condition of most roads was chaotic. Widespread use of the
automobile
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...
in the 1920s created new pressure for reforming the Portuguese road network.
In 1926, under the
Ditadura Nacional
The ''Ditadura Nacional'' (, National Dictatorship) was the name given to the regime that governed Portugal from 1926, after the re-election of General Óscar Carmona to the post of President, until 1933. The preceding period of military dicta ...
regime, a provisional General Plan of National Roads of 1st and 2nd class was established by Decree 12,100 of 31 July 1926, according to what was previewed by the Law of 22 February 1913.
Both the 1st and 2nd class roads would be designated ''estradas nacionais'', with the term ''estrada distrital'' disappearing. They were designated EN xx-x (for ''estradas nacionais'' followed by the number of the road and its class). This plan established 23 roads of 1st class (designated EN 1-1ª to EN 23-1ª) and 112 roads of 2nd class (designated EN 1-2ª to EN 112-2ª).
The definite General Plan of National Roads was approved by Decree No. 16,075 of 30 September 1928.
It kept the 23 1st class roads and the 112 2nd class ones, but some roads were rerouted, extended, or truncated.
The 1st class national roads included in the 1928 General Plan of National Roads were the following:
By Law No. 3,969 of 20 July 1927, the
Junta Autónoma das Estradas (JAE, en, Autonomous Road Board) was created to study the condition of the Portuguese road network. The preliminary report was clear to state that from the of the planned national road network, were to be completed and from the already built, were in an almost-ruined condition.
In 1933, roads were reclassified as ''estradas nacionais'' (1st and 2nd class), ''estradas municipais'' and ''caminhos públicos'' (public paths), with the latter two under municipal management.
1945 National Road Plan
In 1933, the entire (i.e. built and planned) network of national roads totalled .
The
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
recognized the importance of the road network and, in 1945, created the first real national road plan, the ''Plano Rodoviário Nacional de 1945'' (PRN 45), defined in Law No. 34,593 of 11 May 1945. This plan comprised a national road network of .
PRN 1945 classified the national road network in ''Rede Fundamental'' (Fundamental Network) and ''Rede Complementar'' (Complementary Network). The latter served to support the fundamental network. Roads were classified according to the following:
* Fundamental Network: Estradas nacionais (EN or N)
** 1st-class roads:
*** Principal routes (''itinerários principais''): to
*** Other first-class roads: to
** 2nd-class roads:
*** to
* Complementary Network: Estradas nacionais (EN or N)
** 3rd-class roads:
*** to
*** . Branch roads, emerging from a determined road, which was identified by ''X'', with a number of order according to point of origin, identified by ''Y''. The road with most branch roads was , originally with 16 roads numbered to . (In 1961 and were renamed as and , respectively. However, later and were created, so N 1 resumed the record for 16 branches). These roads were planned to cover distances rarely longer than , closing some road grids, and connecting locations of some demographic importance which are not covered by the "parent" road such as less-important border crossings, railway stations, and seaports. There were 438 branch roads.
The National Roads Statutes were subsequently approved in 1949.
In 1961, separate legislation (Law No. 2110 of 19 August 1961) on municipal roads defined new guidelines on construction, maintenance, and commercialization of these roads, and those were classified as following:
* Estradas municipais (EM or M):
** –, following a district sequence, so the sequence 501 and over was repeated in every district. Municipal Roads could have also Branch Roads, following the same rules as for National Roads
* Caminhos públicos or, from 1961, caminhos municipais (CM)
** and on, with the same numbering rules as Municipal Roads
The Main Roads could be, by law, upgraded to 4
lanes
In road transport, a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads (highways) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each ...
with
central separation, if necessary. In fact this happened before PRN 1945, with the
N7 motorway (now the
A5) between
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
and the
National Stadium
Many countries have a national sport stadium, which typically serves as the primary or exclusive home for one or more of a country's national representative sports teams. The term is most often used in reference to an association football stadiu ...
completed in 1944, and in 1961 with the first of
N1 motorway (now
A1) between
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
and
Vila Franca de Xira
Vila Franca de Xira () is a city and municipality in the Lisbon District in Portugal. The population in 2021 was 137,659, in an area of 318.19 km2.
Situated on both banks of the Tagus River, 32 km north-east of the Portuguese capital L ...
. The first urban highways were built in the 1960s. Nevertheless, most motorways built before 1985 had no number at all.
The road classes were distinguished using colour codes: red for first class, blue for second class, green for thirrd class, yellow for municipal roads, and brown for municipal paths. These colours were applied as the basis of the
location markers and occasionally in the background of the road numbers. The numbering distribution for main roads was according to the importance of its route in the network, and for
N101 and over were numbered in a north-to-south fashion.
The length of the roads had no relation with its class (except for branch roads, which were usually short), with existing 3rd-class roads longer than , and main roads with as short as , like the
N7 highway, now part of
A5. The longest road of the 1945 Plan was
N2, connecting
Chaves to
Faro, extending for .
According to PRN 1945, there were 18 Main Roads, designated
N1 through
N18.
1985 National Road Plan
From the 1960s, many routes were assumed to be somewhat outdated, so in 1972,
Brisa was created to manage a projected network of motorways, which by that time didn't reach a length of . New sections of motorways were then built in the 1970s and the early 1980s, like the
Vila Franca de Xira
Vila Franca de Xira () is a city and municipality in the Lisbon District in Portugal. The population in 2021 was 137,659, in an area of 318.19 km2.
Situated on both banks of the Tagus River, 32 km north-east of the Portuguese capital L ...
–
Carregado
Carregado () is a former civil parish, located in the municipality of Alenquer, in western Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Carregado e Cadafais. It has a population of 9,066 inhabitants and a total area of 15.52 km². ...
(1977),
Carregado
Carregado () is a former civil parish, located in the municipality of Alenquer, in western Portugal. In 2013, the parish merged into the new parish Carregado e Cadafais. It has a population of 9,066 inhabitants and a total area of 15.52 km². ...
–
Aveiras de Cima
Aveiras de Cima () is a little Portuguese town by the A1 highway. It is situated in the Lisbon District and in the Azambuja
Azambuja () is a municipality in the Portuguese district of Lisbon, in the historical region of Ribatejo (and the sole mun ...
(1980),
Condeixa-a-Nova
Condeixa-a-Nova (), also known as just Condeixa, is a town and a municipality in the district of Coimbra, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 17,078, in an area of 138.67 km². It is located 15 km south of Coimbra, and is part of the Re ...
–
Mealhada
Mealhada () is a city and a municipality located in Aveiro District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 20,428, in an area of 110.66 km2. It had 17,043 eligible voters (2006). The city of Mealhada itself has a population of 4,522. (1982, which permitted bypassing the city centre of
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of .
The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto Metropolitan Area, Porto, and Bra ...
),
Santa Maria da Feira
Santa Maria da Feira () is a city and a municipality in Aveiro District in Portugal, 23 km from central Porto. The population in 2011 was 139,309,[Carvalhos
Carvalhas is a Portuguese ''freguesia
''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local gove ...]
(1980) and
Albergaria-a-Velha
Albergaria-a-Velha () is a town and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality in the Aveiro District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 25,252, in an area of 158.83 km². It had 19,687 eligible voters in 2006.
History
In 1117, Theresa, ...
–
Santa Maria da Feira
Santa Maria da Feira () is a city and a municipality in Aveiro District in Portugal, 23 km from central Porto. The population in 2011 was 139,309,[A1 motorway
A1, A-1, A01 or A.1. may refer to:
Education
* A1, the Basic Language Certificate of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
* Language A1, the former name for "Language A: literature", one of the IB Group 1 subjects
* A1, a ...]
and the extension of the
A2 motorway into
Setúbal
Setúbal (, , ; cel-x-proto, Caetobrix) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2014 was 118,166, occupying an area of . The city itself had 89,303 inhabitants in 2001. It lies within the Lisbon metropolitan area.
In the ti ...
(between 1978 and 1979).
However, the whole road network was seen to be increasingly inadequate to properly serving the whole country. While
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
was preparing to enter the
EEC
The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisb ...
, the replacement for PRN 1945 was created by the Law 380/85 of 25 September 1985, the Plano Rodoviário Nacional de 1985 ( en, 1985 National Roadway Plan) or PRN 1985.
The road network would again comprise the Rede Fundamental ( en, Fundamental Network), composed of nine ''itinerários principais'' (principal routes), designated
IP1 through
IP9, which totalized .
The non-motorway sections of the ''itinerários principais'' started to be identified with green background direction signs and green background IPx road numbers. In the late 1990s, although the background of the direction signs continued to be green, the IPx road numbers started to be put on red background rectangles.
The ''itinerários principais'' was set to be of restricted access, forbidding pedestrian, animal, and bicycle traffic, but exceptions could be accepted, especially for sections resulting from the reclassification of former national roads into IP network.
Such a classification was proposed before the publication of PRN 1985. In the early 1980s, the first branches of the future IP routes were built. These were a loop road alternative to N16 between
Mangualde
Mangualde () is a municipality in the subregion of Dão-Lafões (historical Beira Interior), central region of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 19,880, in an area of 219.26 km2.
History
The region of Mangualde has been a crossroads of ma ...
and
Prime
A prime number (or a prime) is a natural number greater than 1 that is not a product of two smaller natural numbers. A natural number greater than 1 that is not prime is called a composite number. For example, 5 is prime because the only ways ...
(
Viseu
Viseu () is a city and municipality in the Centro Region of Portugal and the capital of the district of the same name, with a population of 100,000 inhabitants, and center of the Viseu Dão Lafões intermunipical community, with 267,633 inhabita ...
) for IP5 route, built in 1983, and another branch built in 1981 that was integrated on the N2 route but later became part of IP3, between
Oliveira do Mondego and
Chamadouro when
Aguieira Dam
Aguieira Dam ( pt, Barragem da Aguieira, links=no) also known as Foz do Dão Dam ( pt, Barragem da Foz do Dão, links=no) is a concrete multiple arch dam on the Mondego River, where the river forms the border line between the districts of Coimbra ...
was built.
The road network also included the Rede Complementar (Complementary Network) of 24 ''itinerários complementares'' (IC, en, complementary routes) and other roads. The "other roads" were the former PRN 1945 national roads not set to be transformed into IP or IC, neither set for declassification from the national road network. In practice, the "other roads" continued to be signed as ''estradas nacionais'' (N or EN). The Complementary Network was long.
The non-motorway roads of the Rede Complementar were signed with white background direction signs.
The PRN 1985 established 24 ''itinerários complementares'', designated
IC1 through
IC24, which totalled :
The whole network totalled , with about of old PRN 1945 roads being declassified from the national road network.
As the PRN 1985 focused mainly on new roads to be built, no clear rules were established for a procedure regarding the old roads that were to be declassified. In practice, most of them continued to be managed by the national road agency, JAE, and continued to be designated ''estradas nacionais''. Some of them were transferred to the management of local municipalities.
Until the early 1980s, the Portuguese motorways did not have a proper number, each being referred to by a name (with some sections that were part of an ''estrada nacional'' also using the respective Nxx number). The existing motorways at that time (all of them managed under concession) started to receive proper numbers of the type ''Axx''. With the application of the PRN 1985, new motorways were built with a few of them being managed directly by JAE and not under concession like the majority. So, although all motorways were part of an IP or IC, only concessionated ones received the ''Axx'' number (whether tolled or not). This number was signalized and the ''IPxx'' or ''ICxx'' number was disused in the motorway signage. The other motorways – non-concessionated, and therefore, always non-tolled – were signalized with the ''IPxx'' or ''ICxx'' number. Until the 2000s, almost all motorways under concession were tolled, so during that period, a signed ''Axx'' number helped drivers know in advance whether a motorway was tolled.
All motorways were signed with blue background direction signs, independently of being part of the Rede Fundamental or the Rede Complementar.
In 1993, the reclassification of of roads in the IC network and about into other roads was proposed, but the optimizations of PRN 1985 were only realized with PRN 2000, which was initially proposed in 1996.
2000 National Road Plan
In spite of its name, Plano Rodoviário Nacional de 2000 ( en, 2000 National Road Plan) or PRN 2000 was approved in 1998 and was published by Law No. 222/98 of 17 July 1998. This was essentially an optimization of the previous PRN 1985, with the addition of about of roads into the National Network, and the creation of the Rede Regional (Regional Network) of about of roads, as well as the identification of a Rede Nacional de Autoestradas (National Motorway Network), that, however, overlapped with the IP and IC network. The plan includes of roads.
The so-called "other roads" of the PRN 1985 disappeared from the PRN 2000, with the designation ''estradas nacionais'' becoming official again. A new kind of road, the ''estradas regionais'' (regional roads) was also introduced.
The Road Network is defined as following:
*Fundamental Network:
**Itinerários principais
*Complementary Network:
**Itinerários complementares
**Estradas nacionais
*Regional Network:
**Estradas regionais (sections of former ''estradas nacionais'', which take the same numbering, i.e. ER 2 is a section of EN 2, if the road crosses more than one region, separate sections of the former National Road can be part of the Regional Network)
*Rede Nacional de Autoestradas (National Highway Network)
**Autoestradas (always part of IP and IC network)
IP and IC roads may have other designations, especially those integrated with the National Highway Network, where the "A" designation is preferred on
traffic signage, except for some city or suburban highways.
Since its approval, the PRN 2000 was updated twice (in 1999 and in 2003).
Current classification according PRN 2000
Motorways
is the
Portuguese-language
Portuguese ( or, in full, ) is a western Romance language of the Indo-European language family, originating in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is an official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and ...
word for "motorway" or "freeway." Portugal has about of motorways, crossing all the coast and connecting the main inland cities and towns. Several ''autoestradas'' are linked with the
Spanish motorway system and, through Spain, to the rest of Europe.
During the 1990s and early 2000s, Portugal was the country with the greatest development in the motorway network in the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
. It had of motorways in 1990 and the number increased to by 1999 and by the end of 2007.
Although administratively a separate motorway network exists, in practice each ''autoestrada'' overlaps part or all of an IP (Itinerário Principal or Main Itinerary) or an IC (Itinerário Complementar or Complementary Itinerary). These are designated with an "A" code as well as an IP or an IC code, though they are typically only signalized by the A designation. In addition, many of these roads are part of the
European road network, and so also carry an "E" designation, which may serve as reference for non-Portuguese drivers.
Label:
* – = in use
* – – = under construction
* – ** – = planned
Tolls and taxation
As of 2013, 84% of Portuguese motorways have tolls,
although there are also some toll-free highways, mostly in urban areas, like those of
Greater Lisbon
Grande Lisboa () or Greater Lisbon is a former Portuguese NUTS III subregion integrated in the Lisboa Region. It was abolished at the January 2015 NUTS 3 revision. It is part of the historical Estremadura Province. It includes the capital and ...
and
Greater Oporto
Grande Porto () or Greater Porto is a former Portuguese NUTS3 subregion, integrating the NUTS2 region of Norte, in Portugal. It was abolished at the January 2015 NUTS 3 revision.
It corresponded to 11 municipalities out of 16, the other 5 in ...
. Tolls charge drivers by the distance they travel. Almost all motorways are managed by private concessionaries, such as
Brisa and
Ascendi. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the
Government of Portugal
The Government of Portugal is one of the four sovereignty bodies of the Portuguese Republic, together with the President of Portugal, President of the Republic, the Assembly of the Republic (Portugal), Assembly of the Republic and Judiciary of Port ...
created seven
shadow toll
A shadow toll is a contractual payment made by a government per driver using a road to a private company that operates a road built or maintained using private finance initiative funding. Payments are based, at least in part, on the number of veh ...
concessions, the SCUT toll (, tolls with no charges for the users). In those concessions it was included more than of motorways and highways, some of them already built, others which were built in the following years. However, due to economical and political reasons, the shadow toll concept was abolished between 2010 and 2011, with electronic toll equipment being installed in these motorways, to charge their users. Having only electronic tolls, former SCUT motorways can now only be used by vehicles equipped with electronic payment devices or vehicles registered in the system. In the 2000s (i.e. previous to the introduction of tolls in SCUT highways), 35% of the Portuguese motorway network was toll-free, and Portugal was already considered one of the European countries with more toll roads. Following the introduction of tolls in former SCUT highways, 84% of the network had tolls, i.e., only 16% was toll-free.
Since 1991 there is an electronic payment system for tolls in Portugal called
Via Verde
Freeway lane sign in the Portuguese A6 freeway/motorway (Marateca-Caia). The leftmost lane is for exclusive use by vehicles equipped with Via Verde tags.
Via Verde lanes in the 25 April Bridge toll plaza, Almada.
Via Verde (literally "Green ...
. Under this system, the driver installs a small device on the front windshield that communicates electronically with
Brisa (the company responsible for managing most of the motorways in Portugal). Since the payment is electronic, it is quick to enter or leave the motorway, avoiding payment lines (which are still available for drivers without Via Verde). This system has won several prizes for its innovative form of paying for services.
Principal routes
There are 9 ''itinerários principais'' (principal routes), signalized by the prefix IP, designated
IP1 through
IP9.
IP1 and
IP2 form cross-national north–south routes. The first runs along the west part of the country then ends in the southeast border of
Castro Marim
Castro Marim () is a town and a municipality in the southern region of Algarve, in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 6,747, in an area of 300.84 km2.
The current Mayor is Francisco Amaral, elected by the Social Democratic Party.
The mun ...
/
Vila Real de Santo António
Vila Real de Santo António (, often run together as ) is a city, civil parish, and municipality in the Algarve, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 19,156, in an area of 61.25 km2. It is one of the few municipalities in Portugal without ter ...
; the second runs along the east part, roughly along the border with Spain.
All other routes follow a west–east course, with the exception of
IP3 which runs mostly north–south.
All ''itinerários principais'', except
IP6 and
IP9, are connected with the Spanish border.
IP2 reaches Spain by route of
N103-7, in the region of
Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro
Trás-os-Montes () is a geographical, historical and cultural region of Portugal.
Portuguese language, Portuguese for "behind the mountains", Trás-os-Montes is located northeast of the country in an highland, upland area, landlocked by the Douro ...
.
Complementary routes
There are 37 ''itinerários complementares'' (complementary routes), signalized by the letters IC, designated
IC1 through
IC37.
Estradas de Portugal – PRN 2000 – Plano Rodoviário Nacional – Classificação da Rede – ICs
/ref>
Note: Italics and -**- refers to unbuilt sections.
National routes
''Estradas Nacionais'' (national routes) belong to the Complementary Network. They have three main functions: connect cities not linked by an IP or IC highway, connect municipal seats, borders, ports and airports to the rest of the state-owned network and provide free alternatives to toll motorways. Examples for each of these functions can be made: N103 links Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
, Chaves and Braganza, N256 and N256-1 link the border of São Leonardo and the municipal seats of Mourão
Mourão () is a municipality in the District of Évora in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 2,663, in an area of 278.63 km2.
Geography
The municipality borders the municipality of Alandroal to the north, Spain to the east, Barrancos to ...
and Reguengos de Monsaraz
Reguengos de Monsaraz () is a municipality in Évora District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 10,828, in an area of 464.00 km2. The City of Reguengos de Monsaraz proper has a population of 7,308.
The present Mayor is José Calixto, el ...
to IP2 expressway and N4 provides a free alternative to A6 toll motorway. National roads kept the same numbering they had in the 1945 Plan, with the prefix N, and are administered by the agency Estradas de Portugal In November 2007, EP Estradas de Portugal SA became the successor to EP - Estradas de Portugal, E.P.E. (List of acronyms and initialisms: A#AK, a.k.a. Estradas de Portugal or EP) which had been the agency responsible for administering the roads in P ...
. In the 1985 Plan, these were generically referred as "other roads".
Many of the 1945 Plan's ''estradas nacionais'' were not included in the post-1985 highway plans and were declassified from the National Road Network in anticipation of their transfer to municipal authorities. Although some were transferred, many municipalities did not assume responsibility for the management of these roads; a number of them continue to be administered by the national roads agency. Despite being declassified, most of the roads retained their designations, keeping their old numberings and N prefixes, including those that are administered by the municipalities.
Regional roads
''Estradas regionais'' (regional roads) integrate the Regional Network. This road class was created in 1998, with the approval of the 2000 National Roadway Plan. According to Law No. 222/98 "the public road communications with supra-municipal interest, and complementary to the National Road Network, are carried by Regional Roads".
Each regional road maintains the number of the national road or municipal road that originated it. Regional roads are represented by the letter R. Because, in 1998, it was rejected in a referendum
A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...
, a reform which consisted of the creation of eight administrative regions in mainland Portugal
Continental Portugal ( pt, Portugal continental, ) or mainland Portugal comprises the bulk of the Portuguese Republic, namely that part on the Iberian Peninsula and so in Continental Europe, having approximately 95% of the total population and 9 ...
, nowadays, some regional roads are administrated by Estradas de Portugal In November 2007, EP Estradas de Portugal SA became the successor to EP - Estradas de Portugal, E.P.E. (List of acronyms and initialisms: A#AK, a.k.a. Estradas de Portugal or EP) which had been the agency responsible for administering the roads in P ...
, while others are administrated by Portuguese municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
.
Municipal roads
''Estradas municipais'' (municipal roads) are represented by the letter M and are administrated by Portuguese municipalities
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
. These routes were created in 1961, since which time many branches of national routes had been municipalized. Some municipal routes created by the 1985 Plan were renamed as "national roads" or "regional roads" in the 2000 Plan.
European routes
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
is crossed by eight European routes
The international E-road network is a numbering system for roads in Europe developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The network is numbered from E1 up and its roads cross national borders. It also reaches Centr ...
:
See also
* Estradas de Portugal In November 2007, EP Estradas de Portugal SA became the successor to EP - Estradas de Portugal, E.P.E. (List of acronyms and initialisms: A#AK, a.k.a. Estradas de Portugal or EP) which had been the agency responsible for administering the roads in P ...
(agency responsible for administering roads)
External links
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References
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{{Motorways in Europe