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A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, limited access freeway, and partial controlled access highway, is a
highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...
or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a
controlled-access highway 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 i ...
(also known as a ''freeway'' or ''motorway''), including limited or no access to adjacent property, some degree of separation of opposing traffic flow, use of grade separated
interchanges Interchange may refer to: Transport * Interchange (road), a collection of ramps, exits, and entrances between two or more highways * Interchange (freight rail), the transfer of freight cars between railroad companies * Interchange station, a rai ...
to some extent, prohibition of slow modes of transport, such as
bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. B ...
s, (draught) horses, or self-propelled agricultural machines; and very few or no intersecting cross-streets or
level crossing A level crossing is an intersection where a railway line crosses a road, path, or (in rare situations) airport runway, at the same level, as opposed to the railway line crossing over or under using an overpass or tunnel. The term a ...
s. The degree of isolation from local traffic allowed varies between countries and regions. The precise definition of these terms varies by jurisdiction.'' Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices''
Section 1A.13 Definitions of Words and Phrases in This Manual
"Expressway—a divided highway with partial control of access." and "Freeway—a divided highway with full control of access."


History

The first implementation of limited-access roadways in the United States was the
Bronx River Parkway The Bronx River Parkway (sometimes abbreviated as the Bronx Parkway) is a long parkway in downstate New York in the United States. It is named for the nearby Bronx River, which it parallels. The southern terminus of the parkway is at Story Aven ...
in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, in 1907. The
New York State Parkway System The majority of parkways in the US state of New York are part of a statewide parkway system owned by several public and private agencies but mostly maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). A handful of other road ...
was constructed as a network of high-speed roads in and around
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. The first limited access highway built is thought to be the privately built
Long Island Motor Parkway The Long Island Motor Parkway, also known as the Vanderbilt Parkway, Vanderbilt Motor Parkway, or Motor Parkway, was a roadway on Long Island, New York, in the United States. It was the first roadway designed for automobile use only. The parkway ...
in
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...
, New York. The
Southern State Parkway The Southern State Parkway (also known as the Southern State or Southern Parkway; abbreviated as SO on signage) is a limited-access highway on Long Island, New York, in the United States. The parkway begins at an interchange with the Belt and ...
opened in 1927, while the Long Island Motor Parkway was closed in 1937 and replaced by the Northern State Parkway (opened in 1931) and the contiguous Grand Central Parkway (opened in 1936).


Regional implementations

In the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, the national '' Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices'' (MUTCD) uses "full control of access" only for
freeway 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 ...
s. Expressways are defined as having "partial control of access" (or ''semi-controlled access''). This means that major roads typically use interchanges and
commercial development Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct exch ...
is accessed via cross roads or
frontage road A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. A frontage road is often used to provide access to private drive ...
s, while minor roads can cross at grade and farms can have direct access. This definition is also used by some states, some of which also restrict freeways only to
motor vehicle A motor vehicle, also known as motorized vehicle or automotive vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on rails (such as trains or trams) and is used for the transportation of people or cargo. The ...
s capable of maintaining a certain speed. Some other states use "controlled access" to mean a higher standard than "limited access", while others reverse the two terms.


Oceania


Australia

While
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
's larger capital cities feature
controlled-access highway 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 i ...
networks, the smaller metropolitan areas mostly rely on limited-access highways for high-speed local traffic. In
South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...
the terms "expressway" and "freeway" can be synonymous. The Southern and Northern Expressways are both controlled-access highways. However, perhaps confusingly, the Port River Expressway is a limited-access highway.
Dual carriageway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
s that connect capital cities and regional centres, such as the M31
Hume Highway Hume Highway, inclusive of the sections now known as Hume Freeway and Hume Motorway, is one of Australia's major inter-city national highways, running for between Melbourne in the southwest and Sydney in the northeast. Upgrading of the route f ...
between Sydney and Melbourne, are almost all limited-access highways. In spite of this, 'freeway' terminology is used on signage for most regional limited access highways in the state of Victoria.


New Zealand: ''Expressway, Motorway''

left, 80px left, 80px The terms ''Motorway'' and ''Expressway'' in New Zealand both encompass multi-lane divided
freeways 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 i ...
as well as narrower 2-4-lane undivided expressways with varying degrees of
grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...
; the difference being that in New Zealand a ''Motorway'' has certain additional legal traffic restrictions.''Manual of Traffic Signs and Markings (MOTSAM) Part 3: Motorways and Expressways'', NZ Transport Agency, June 2009


Asia


China

The Expressway Network of the People's Republic of China is the longest highway system in the world. The network is also known as National Trunk Highway System (NTHS). By the end of 2016, the total length of China's expressway network reached 131,000 kilometers (82,000 mi). Expressways in China are a fairly recent addition to a complex network of roads. China's first expressway was built in 1988. Until 1993, very few expressways existed. The network is expanding rapidly after 2000. In 2011, 11,000 kilometres (6,800 mi) of expressways were added to the network.


Pakistan

The
Expressways of Pakistan Expressways of Pakistan ( ur, ) are a network of multiple-lane, high-speed toll highways in Pakistan, which are owned, maintained and operated by various levels of government. All federal expressways are controlled by the National Highway Author ...
are a network of multiple-lane, high-speed highways in Pakistan, which are owned, maintained and operated federally by Pakistan's
National Highway Authority The National Highway Authority (NHA; ur, ) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Communications (MoCom) of Pakistan. History In 1978, the Government of Pakistan federalised five important inter-provincial roads and named them ''National ...
. They are one class lower than the country's
motorways 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 ...
and are usually upgraded versions of the national highways. The total length of Pakistan's expressways is as of November, 2016. Around of expressways are currently under construction in different parts of country. Most of these expressways will be complete between 2017 and 2020.


India

Expressways in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
make up more than of the Indian National Highway System on which they are the highest class of road. The
National Highways Development Project The National Highways Development Project (NHDP) is a project to upgrade, rehabilitate and widen major highways in India to a higher standard. The project was started in 1998 under the leadership of Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Natio ...
is underway to add an additional of expressways to the network by the year 2022.


Iran

50px, left ''Expressways'' in Iran are one class lower than ''freeways'' and are used in large urban areas such as
Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Region, Isfahan Province, Iran. It is lo ...
,
Mashhad Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of Razavi Khorasan Province and has a po ...
, or
Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
and between other important cities (Usually two
province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...
capitals) in rural and desert areas. The speed limit in Urban areas is between and in rural and desert areas between .


Japan

The term ''Expressway'' as used in English in Japan refers to both
freeway 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 ...
-style highways and narrower, more winding, often undivided ''Regional High-Standard Highways'' . Both types of expressways have a combined length of as of April 2012.


Malaysia

Limited-access roads in Malaysia usually, but not always, take the name ( ms, lebuhraya, region=MY – this is also the name for
expressways Expressway may refer to: * Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. *Limited-access road A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limi ...
). Highways normally have a lower speed limit than expressways (but still higher than the rest of the local road network), and permit at-grade intersections and junctions to residential roads and shopfronts, although
grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...
is still typical. Highways are normally toll-free and are owned and operated by the
federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...
. Notable examples of limited-access roads are the Federal Highway,
Skudai Highway Skudai Highway ''(Lebuhraya Skudai)'', also known as Senai Highway (Lebuhraya Senai), Jalan Tun Abdul Razak or Jalan Skudai, Federal Route 1, is a 29 kilometre partial-access highway in Johor, Malaysia, from the town of Senai in Kulai District t ...
,
Gelugor Highway Gelugor Highway, Federal Route 6 comprising Jalan Gelugor and Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, is a major highway in Penang, Malaysia. List of interchanges {, class="wikitable" , - !Km, , Exit, , Interchange, , To, , Remarks , - , , , , , Georgeto ...
,
Kuantan Bypass Kuantan Bypass, Federal Route 3, AH18, is a main highway bypass in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, ...
and Kuching Bypass.


Singapore

Limited-access roads in Singapore are formally known as (in contrast to
controlled-access highway 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 i ...
s which are known as ''expressways''). While still functioning as high-speed roads, semi-expressways may still have
at-grade intersection An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections a ...
s with
traffic light Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traffic. Traffic light ...
s, and speed limits are not uniform.
Grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...
is, however, still typical at major junctions. Five roads have been designated as semi-expressways:
Bukit Timah Road Bukit Timah Road (; ms, Jalan Bukit Timah; ta, புக்கித் திமா சாலை) is a major road in Singapore extending from the city centre to Woodlands Road on the way to Johor Bahru in Malaysia. The road has a length of ...
, Jurong Island Highway, Nicoll Highway,
Outer Ring Road System The Outer Ring Road System, or more commonly known as ORRS, is a network of major arterial roads in Singapore that forms a ring road through the towns along the city fringe. The ORRS is a semi-expressway, just like the West Coast Highway. Sinc ...
and West Coast Highway.


South Korea

Motorways in South Korea (자동차전용도로 ''Jadongcha jeonyong doro'', literally 'motor-car-only road') includes various grades of highways other than
expressways Expressway may refer to: * Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic. *Limited-access road A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limi ...
. Contrary to the expressway in South Korea, motorway is a measure of traffic control, rather than a class of the road. For example, ''Jayu-ro'' is a segment of the national route 77 as well as a motorway. As of June 2011, 1,610 km of highways in total were designated as motorways. (1,052 km national highways, 351 km metropolitan highways, 185 km regional highways and 20 km municipal highways) Like expressways, motorcycles are not permitted.


Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has ensured to classify the expressways in reference to the connotation of E grades. , three expressways namely the Southern Expressway, Outer Circular Expressway and the Colombo – Katunayake Expressway have been created. A tax levying structure is proposed for travelling via the expressways. Speed limits in the range of 80–100 km/h is attested for travelling through the expressways. Up to now two expressways namely the Northern Expressway and the Ruwanpura Expressway are in process to satisfy the needs of public transport.


Taiwan (R.O.C.)

left, 70px 70px Expressways in Taiwan may be
controlled-access highway 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 i ...
s similar to National Freeways or limited-access roads. Most have Provincial (as opposed to National) Highway status, although some are built and maintained by cities. All provincial expressways run east–west except for Provincial Highway No. 61, which runs north–south along the west coast. Some provincial expressway routes are still under construction.


Europe


Austria: ''Schnellstraße''

In Austria the speed limit on a ''Schnellstraße'' is . ''Schnellstraßen'' are very similar to Austrian '' Autobahnen'' (freeways/motorways); the chief difference is that they are more cheaply built with smaller curve radius, often undivided and have fewer bridges and tunnels.Austrian State Route Law
/ref>


Belgium: ''Autoweg''

In Belgium an ''autoweg'' is a public road, the beginning of which is indicated by the first signboard (F9) and the end by the second sign (F11). An important difference with an ''autosnelweg'' is that crossroads as well as traffic lights can be on an ''autoweg''. In Belgium there is no specific speed regulation for an ''autoweg''. Only motor vehicles and their trailers (with the exception of mopeds), agricultural vehicles and the towing of fairground vehicles, as well as four-wheelers (without passenger compartment), are allowed to drive on an ''autoweg''. An ''autoweg'' can consist of two or more lanes. The driving directions can be separated by a roadmarking, or by a central reservation. If a public road (''autosnelweg'', ''autoweg'', ''weg'') consists of two or more lanes that are clearly separated from each other by a roadside or a space that is not accessible to vehicles, the drivers may not drive on the lane opposite to them.


Croatia: ''Brza cesta''

In
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
, the term ''brza cesta'' (lit. "fast road") is used to describe a motor vehicle-only road, usually
grade-separated In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...
, without an
emergency lane A shoulder, hard shoulder (British) or breakdown lane, is an emergency stopping lane by the verge of a road or motorway, on the right side in countries which drive on the right, and on the left side in countries which drive on the left. Many wid ...
, with a speed limit of , although it can be lowered, usually to . They range from 2+2 lane
dual carriageway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
s with grade-separated intersections and speed limit ( D2 in
Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
), four or six-lane urban streets with at-grade intersections with traffic lights ( D1 in
Karlovac Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705. Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb-Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...
) or two-lane single carriageways with grade-separated intersections ( D33 in Šibenik). They are either a standalone state road ( D10) or a part of one (Southern Osijek bypass, D2). Some portions of
motorways 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 ...
are expressways since they are either in construction ( A8 between Pazin and
Matulji Matulji ( it, Mattuglie) is a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia. It is located west of the city of Rijeka, north of the town of Opatija, and it borders Slovenia. Municipality There are a total of 11,246 inhabitants in the m ...
) or designed as such ( A7 in
Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Prim ...
). As a rule, the expressways are not tolled, however major tunnels on expressways are tolled.


Czech Republic: ''Rychlostní silnice''

Expressways in the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
( cz, Silnice pro motorová vozidla, are defined as dual carriageways with smaller emergency lane. The speed limit is 110 km/h (70 mph). Expressway road signs are white on blue.


Denmark: ''Motortrafikvej''

In
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...
, a 'motortrafikvej' ( Danish for "motor traffic road") is a high-speed highway with a speed limit between . The most common 'motortrafikvej' has two lanes (1+1) or 2+1. There is no grade intersections. The signs for 'motortrafikvej' have white text on blue background.


Finland: ''Moottoriliikennetie''

In
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
, highways are separated into three categories: all-access ''valtatie'' ("main road"), limited-access ''moottoriliikennetie'' ("motor traffic road") and finally ''moottoritie'' ("motorway"); the latter two are marked with green signage, while ''valtatie'' signage is blue. While most of the network is all-access road, of it is motorway, and is limited-access road. The access is limited to motor vehicles faster than 50 km/h, thus excluding pedestrian, bicycle, moped or tractor traffic; furthermore, towing is not allowed. Limited-access roads are generally similar to motorways, but do not fulfill all the technical requirements, such as several lanes in one direction or separation of opposite directions. Limited-access roads are usually built because the local population density is too low to justify a motorway. Often space has been left during construction for an eventual upgrade to a motorway. Limited-access roads also function as feeder routes for motorways. The general speed limit on main roads and limited-access roads is 100 km/h (summertime) and 80 km/h (wintertime). On motorways the speed limits are 120 and 100 km/h respectively. Especially during winter the speed limits can be changed due to weather conditions.


Germany: ''Kraftfahrstraße''

A ''Kraftfahrstrasse'' (
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
for "motor-power road", also colloquially called ''Schnellstraße'', literally "fast road") in
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
is any road with access limited to motor vehicles with a maximum design speed of more than , excluding pedestrian, bicycle, moped or tractor traffic. Oversized vehicles are banned. The construction of transregional ''Kraftfahrstraßen'' highways (''Autostraßen'') rank below the standard of
German autobahns The (; German plural ) is the federal controlled-access highway system in Germany. The official German term is (abbreviated ''BAB''), which translates as 'federal motorway'. The literal meaning of the word is 'Federal Auto(mobile) Track' ...
. With regard to the general German speed limits, on roads with lanes separated by a median or with a minimum of two marked lanes per direction, an
advisory speed limit An advisory speed limit is a speed recommendation by a governing body, used when it may be non-obvious to the driver that the safe speed is below the legal speed. It is a posting which either approximates the Basic Speed Law or rule (and is ...
(''Richtgeschwindigkeit'') of applies.
At-grade intersection An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections a ...
s are admissible, regulation at junction (traffic), junctions is usually provided by
traffic light Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traffic. Traffic light ...
s or roundabouts. U-turns and any deliberate stopping are prohibited. ''Kraftfahrstraßen'' are out of bounds to pedestrians, except for special crosswalks.


Hungary: ''Autóút''

Expressways in Hungary are called ''Autóút'' (Auto/car road). They are mostly dual carriageways. The main difference between Hungarian motorways and expressways is, that they are more cheaply built with narrower width and often undivided. Maximum speed limit is reduced to 110 km/h for vehicles under 3.5 tons, and 70 km/h for vehicles over 3.5 tons. In Hungary there are multiple types of dual carriageways. One part is almost identical with motorways, but the driving lanes are narrower. Parameters of a 2+2 lane dual carriageway off-habitat area: * Total width of road: 25.60 m * Driving lane width: 3.50 m * Pavement width: 2x10.25 m * Parking lane: 3.00 m * Middle separation area width: 3.60 m Parameters of a 2+2 lane dual carriageway in habitat (town/city) area: * Total width of road: 24.10 m * Driving lane width: 3.50 m * Pavement width: 2x10.75 m * Parking lane: 3.00 m * Middle separation area width: 3.60 m There are also semi-motorways with only one side of the motorway built. After the missing lanes are built, they will become standard motorways.


Ireland: ''HQDC''

A ''High-quality dual carriageway (HQDC)'' in Ireland is normally completed to a motorway standard, including no right-turns, but with no motorway restrictions. These are common on the final stretches of motorways nearing a major city, generally in order to enable use of bus stops and city bus services on the particular stretch of road. There are not yet any specific signs for this type of road, but the National Roads Authority have hinted that they are looking at implementing the German-style Autostrasse sign in Ireland. Speed limits are normally 100 km/h compared to 120 km/h on motorways


Italy: ''Superstrada''

In Italy there are: Type B highway (or ''strada extraurbana principale''), commonly but unofficially known as ''superstrada'', is a divided highway with at least two lanes for each direction, paved shoulder on the right, no cross-traffic and no at-grade intersections. Access restrictions on such highways are exactly the same of Autostrade of Italy, Italian motorways (''autostrade''), as well as signage at the beginning and the end of the highway (with the only difference being the background color, blue instead of green). Speed limit on type-B road is 110 km/h. Type C highway (or ''strada extraurbana secondaria''), a single carriageway with at least one lane for each direction and shoulders. It may have at-grade, at-level crossings with railways, roundabouts and traffic lights. This category contains also dual carriageways that can not be classified as type-B highways because of the lack of one or more required features. In absence of specific regulation signs, a type-C road is accessible by all vehicles and pedestrians, even if it has separate carriageways and no cross-traffic. The sign shown here on the left allows access only to motorized vehicles. Speed limit on type-C roads is 90 km/h.


Netherlands: ''Autoweg''

image:Nederlands verkeersbord G3.svg, 50px, left The Netherlands has much more kilometres of motorways (''snelwegen''), than expressways (''autowegen''). The latter only form a complementary part of the country's main highway network. They are typically shorter than motorways, offering connections of a more regional significance. The general speed limit is 100 km/h. Only faster motor vehicles, both ''capable'' and ''legally allowed'' to go at least 50 km/h, may use the road. ''Autowegen'' are always numbered and mostly signposted with an N (for Non motorway highway) and up to three digits, like . For the most part they fall under national or provincial management. Dutch expressways are built to significantly varying standards. Designs range from fully Controlled-access highway, controlled-access
dual carriageway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
s with
grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...
, traffic barrier, center dividers and full Shoulder (road), hard shoulders, to single carriageways with just one lane per direction and only intermittent shoulder patches called ''Vluchthavens'' (small Lay-bys). Intersections are frequently At-grade intersection, at grade with traffic lights, or they are roundabouts. There can be moveable bridges in these roads. In either case, the speed limit is frequently reduced to 70 km/h before reaching the junction or the bridge. Since 1997 a national traffic safety program called ''Sustainable Safety'' has introduced a new Roads in the Netherlands#Roads by safety policy category, road categorisation and new design standards. Although ''autowegen'' don't have to conform completely to the new Dutch design standard for regional flow roads (''stroomwegen''), many of these roads require at least some upgrades. The ideal is to make expressways divided and grade-separated, as much as possible. Otherwise these roads are downgraded to the safety category of distributor roads, thereby losing their expressway status.


Norway: ''Motortrafikkvei''

In Norway, a ''motortrafikkvei'' (Norwegian (language), Norwegian for "motor traffic road"), formerly called ''motorvei klasse B'' ("class-B motorway") is a high-speed highway with a speed limit of up to 90 km/h. There are no at grade intersections. Direction signs for ''motortrafikkvei'' have black text on yellow background, while same signs on ''motorvei'' have white text on blue background. As of October 2017 the Norwegian Road DataBase show approximately 455 km of ''motortrafikkvei'' in Norway.


Poland: ''droga ekspresowa''

''Droga ekspresowa'' (plural: ''drogi ekspresowe'') in Poland refers to a network of roads fulfilling the role of bringing traffic to the Motorways in Poland, motorways, and serving major international and inter-regional purposes. They are often built as ring roads since they take less space than motorway and allow more entrances and exits. All expressways start with the letter S, followed by a number. They can be dual or single carriageways and have reduced number of one At-grade intersection, level intersections. As of May 2004 the Polish government documents indicated that the country had plans of an expressway and freeway, motorway network totalling (including about of motorways).Dz.U. 2004 nr 128 poz. 1334
/ref> The speed limit is 120 km/h (dual carriageway) and 100 km/h (single carriageway).


Portugal: ''via rápida''

In Portugal, a non-motorway limited access road is commonly referred as a ''via rápida'' (rapid way, plural: ''vias rápidas''), although there is not a specific official technical designation for it. The legal term ''via reservada a automóveis e motociclos'' (reserved way for automobiles and motorcycles) is used to designate a non-motorway road where motorway rules apply (except the speed limit which is lower). However, this term refers only to the road rules and not to the road technical characteristics. There are two main types of roads commonly referred as ''vias rápidas'' in Portugal. The first type is a limited access road, with dual carriageway and with interchanges grade separation. Many of these roads have all or almost all the technical characteristics of full motorways. Examples are the several urban highways in cities like Lisbon, Oporto, Coimbra and Braga. In Madeira, the main regional highways, that connect the cities and other important places of the island, are mainly of these type, there are two vias rápidas classified as motorways in the region, VR1, Madeira, VR1 and VR2. The second Portuguese type of ''via rápida'' is a highway with all the same characteristics of the above first type, except the number of carriageways that is only one. Examples of this type of roads are the ancient IP4 and IP5 (before being transformed in full motorways), the Portalegre District, Portalegre-Beja, Portugal, Beja section of the IP2, the Coimbra-Viseu section of the IP3 and several complementary routes (IC). The dual carriageway ''vias rápidas'' can be classified and signalized as reserved ways for automobiles and motorcycles, cases in which general motorway rules apply, except speed limited which is never above 100 km/h. In dual carriageway ''vias rápidas'' not signalized as reserved ways, normal road rules apply, including speed limit which is never above 90 km/h. Single carriageway ''vias rápidas'' cannot be classified and signalized as reserved ways and so normal road rules always apply there.


Romania

In Romania, such roads are called ''drumuri expres'' (or ''drum expres'' in singular form). Whilst there are no expressways in Romania so far, their main difference from regular motorways are the lack of hard shoulders and a slightly lower speed limit of 120 km/h, otherwise, being similar to a motorway regarding
grade separation In civil engineering (more specifically highway engineering), grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other tr ...
and featuring at least Dual carriageway, 2 lanes per direction. Expressways were introduced for the first time on the 2014 roads masterplan. This masterplan envisaged building most planned motorways up to expressway standards, provided that in the future they would be converted to actual motorways. However, by mid-2019, no expressway has been built, nevermind starting works on one, although contracts were signed to allow for their construction, meaning that in the 2020s the first expressways will likely be completed. Planned expressways according to CNADNR (Romanian National Company of Motorways and National Roads), based on the 2014 roads masterplan:


Russia

Russia has a large federal highway network that totals approximately . Federal highways in the country are classified into two categories: "motorways" (russian: магистральная автомобильная дорога, автомагистраль, not the same as the English term motorway) and "other". In the Road Rules, there are 2 designations for a limited-access road, one being "motorway" and the other being "road for cars"(russian: дорога для автомобилей), on both of which special motorway rules apply. "Roads for cars" are different from motorways by the fact that they don't have to be dual-carriageway, at-grade traffic light intersections are permitted, and the speed limit is still 90 km/h.


Spain: ''Autovía''

Unlike Spain's ''Autopistas'', specifically reserved for vehicles able to sustain at least 60 km/h (37 mph), and usually tolled, ''Autovías'' are usually upgrades from older roads, and never toll roads. In general, slow vehicles like bicycles and agricultural machinery are allowed under certain restrictions.


Slovakia: Rychlostna cesta

The "Rychlostna cesta" in Slovakia is different to the Highways in Slovakia, "dialnica" in Slovakia with Speed limits in Slovakia, speed limits restricted to 100kph (62 mph) according to new road rules in Slovakia and in a settlement its 80kph (49 mph).Its now currently sometimes referred as a "cesta pre motorove vozidla".They used to have a R at the beginning but due to new road rules all the expressways that started with a R are known as a motorway. They have two lanes on each side and they can sometimes be single carriage way like in Poland.


Sweden

image:Sweden road sign E3.svg, left, 50pxThe Swedish road type ''motortrafikled'' is a limited-access highway, road with limited access (all grade-separated, no slow traffic) and two or three lanes. According to the EU's multilingual term base, ''motortrafikled'' should be translated to ''expressway'', ''rapid road'' or ''road with limited access''. The same rules apply to a ''motortrafikled'' as to a motorway - it is basically a half motorway. The speed limit is usually 90 – 100 km/h. Many ''motortrafikleder'' are built as 2+1 roads, alternating two lanes in one direction and one in the other, with a narrow fence in between.


Switzerland

In Switzerland ''Autostrasse'' (
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
, "auto road"), ''semi-autoroute'', or ''semiautostrade'' (French language, French and Italian language, Italian for "semi-freeway") is a highway that is only allowed to high-speed traffic with no crossings, but it is not the highest class road, the Motorways of Switzerland, motorways (''Autobahn''/''autoroute''/''autostrada''). The speed limit on these roads in Switzerland is . Most of the ''Autostrasse / semi-autoroutes / semiautostrade'' have no central barrier separating the lanes in different directions.


United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the second tier of high speed roads below motorways are typically
dual carriageway A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
s (although the term "dual carriageway" can refer to roads that are not limited-access, so long as traffic in opposite directions is physically separated). Many roads such as the A1 road (Great Britain), A1, the A14 road (England), A14, the A19 road, A19 and the A42 road (England), A42 are built to a high quality, in many places they are only intersected by grade-separated junctions, have full barriers at both the road side and the central reservations and in some cases three or more lanes of traffic, however they are not subjected to motorway restrictions as they are typically built to a lower standard, or have existing Right-of-way (transportation), rights of way for non motorised vehicles. They may lack some features that a motorway would have, such as hard shoulders, and may have tighter bends and steeper gradients than would be allowed on a motorway or have established, rights of way that cannot be removed. The standard motorway speed limit for cars of also applies to many dual carriageways. In March 2015, it was announced that a new standard would be developed to formally designate certain high-quality routes in England as ''Expressways''. This new standard would have the same motorway regulations as traditional motorways, however would lack a hard shoulder and use traffic management systems like those on smart motorways. An "expressway" is limited to 3 through lanes, they are to be built largely to the same standards as a smart motorway, although some non-standard existing alignments are allowed to remain if they are just short of being standard. Some roads have "expressway" in their name, this has no reflection on the purpose or standard of the road. For example, the A38(M) motorway, Aston Expressway or the North Wales expressway, North Wales Expressway


North America


Canada

In Ontario, ''expressway'' is synonymous with ''
freeway 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 ...
'' and is used to mean limited-access divided-highways with no at-grade intersections. An example of this is the Gardiner Expressway through western and downtown Toronto, and once it turns into a 6-lane arterial road (Lake Shore Boulevard) east of the Don River (Ontario), Don River, there is a sign warning of the end of the freeway. The E. C. Row Expressway in Windsor, Ontario is a controlled-access divided freeway with grade-separated interchanges, between Ojibway Parkway at its western terminus and Banwell Road at its eastern terminus, where there are traffic intersections at both termini. The Ontario Highway 401, Macdonald–Cartier Freeway would be an example of a route that uses the term ''freeway'', however, that name is being phased out by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, Ministry of Transportation. In general, the term "expressway" is used more frequently for municipally maintained roads, while provincial freeways are known more by their route number (particularly the 400-series highways are known as Highway 4__) despite some of them having an "expressway" name for all or part of their length, such as the (Ontario Highway 403, Chedoke Expressway/Hamilton Expressway, Ontario Highway 409, Belfield Expressway, and Ontario Highway 427, Airport Expressway). The Veterans Memorial Parkway in London, Ontario, has intersections instead of interchanges, and thus is considered an expressway and not a
freeway 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 ...
. It was originally designed with sufficient right-of-way to be built as a full freeway, but a lack of funding forced it to be built with at-grade intersections. Similarly, the Hanlon Parkway in Guelph and Ontario Highway 40, Highway 40 in Sarnia, Ontario were originally opened with intersections in lieu of interchanges, save for the couple grade-separated interchanges. Ontario Highway 420, Regional Road 420 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Niagara Falls is also an expressway. While Allen Road and Ontario Highway 400, Highway 400 were originally full freeways, their extensions (for Allen Road to meet Sheppard Avenue and Dufferine Street, and the 400 South Extension which became Black Creek Drive and handed over to Metro Toronto upon completion) were built as expressways with at-grade intersections. Two sections of Ontario Highway 11#Barrie .E2.80.93 North Bay, Highway 11, between Barrie and Orillia as well as between Orillia and Gravenhurst, are a Right-in/right-out, Right-in Right-out (RIRO) expressway rather than a full freeway. The joint route of Ontario Highway 35, Highway 35/Ontario Highway 115, 115 in Durham Region is also a RIRO expressway. In most of Western Canada, an expressway is a high-speed arterial road along the lines of the California definition, while a freeway is fully controlled access with no at-grade intersections. In Alberta, the term "Trail" refers to both full freeways (Stoney Trail), or high-speed arterials with a mix of signalized intersections and interchanges (Crowchild Trail). The Yellowhead Trail as it passes through Edmonton, Alberta has both intersections and interchanges. It is the main east–west artery for the northern half of the city. There are plans to upgrade many of the most congested remaining intersections into interchanges in the near future. In Quebec, the term ''freeway'' is never used, with the terms ''expressway'' (in English) and ''autoroute'' (in English and French) being preferred. English terms are rare, and only found on bilingual signage of expressways (abbreviated "expy") found in Montreal around bridges and on the Quebec Autoroute 10, Bonaventure Expressway; these signs are controlled by the federal government. Most of the Autoroutes of Quebec, Autoroutes are built or at least designed to be upgrade to a full freeway (initially constructed as a Two-lane expressway), a notable exception is the section of Autoroute 20 through Vaudreuil-Dorion and L'Île-Perrot which is an 8 km urban boulevard.


United States

In the United States, an ''expressway'' is defined by the Federal government of the United States, federal government’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices as a divided highway with partial control of access. In contrast, a ''
freeway 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 ...
'' is defined as a divided highway with full control of access. The difference between ''partial'' and ''full'' access control is that expressways may have a limited number of driveways and at-grade intersections (thus making them a form of high-speed arterial road), while access to freeways is allowed only at grade-separated interchanges. Expressways under this definition do not conform to Interstate highway standards (which ban all driveways and at-grade intersections) and are therefore usually numbered as state highways or U.S. Highways. This distinction was first developed in 1949 by the Special Committee on Nomenclature of what is now the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). In turn, the definitions were incorporated into AASHTO's official standards book, the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which would become the national standards book of the United States Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation under a 1966 federal statute. The same distinction has also been codified into the statutory law of eight states: California, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. However, each state codified the federal distinction slightly differently. California expressways do not necessarily have to be divided, though they must have at least partial access control. For both terms to apply in Wisconsin, a divided highway must be at least four lanes wide. In Missouri, both terms apply only to divided highways at least 10 miles long that are not part of the Interstate Highway System. In North Dakota and Mississippi, an expressway may have "full or partial" access control and "generally" has grade separations at intersections; a freeway is then defined as an expressway with full access control. Ohio's statute is similar, but instead of the vague word "generally," it imposes a requirement that 50% of an expressway's intersections must be grade-separated for the term to apply. Only Minnesota enacted the exact MUTCD definitions, in May 2008. However, many states around the Great Lakes region and along the Eastern Seaboard have refused to conform their terminology to the federal definition. The following states officially prefer the term ''expressway'' instead of ''freeway'' to describe what are technically freeways in federal parlance: Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, and West Virginia.W. Va. Code § 17-4-2(a). In those states, it is common to find Interstate highways that bear the name ''expressway''. Ultimately, it is the federal definition that defines a road's classification whether it is an expressway or freeway no matter the preferred term. No state, for instance, could have what is technically an expressway given Interstate status just because semantically they use the term interchangeably with freeway. Most expressways under the federal definition have speed limits of 45-55 mph (70–90 km/h) in urban areas and 55-70 mph (90–110 km/h) in rural areas. Urban expressways are usually free of private driveways, but occasional exceptions include direct driveways to Filling station, gas stations and shopping malls at major intersections (which would never be allowed on a true freeway). The vast majority of expressways are built by state governments, or by private companies, which then operate them as toll roads pursuant to a license from the state government. A famous example of a local government getting into the expressway business is Santa Clara County, California, Santa Clara County in California, which deliberately built its own expressway system in the 1960s to supplement the freeway system then planned by California Department of Transportation, Caltrans. Although the county originally planned to upgrade the expressways into full-fledged freeways, such a project became politically infeasible after the rise of the tax revolt movement in the mid-1970s, which began with California Proposition 13 (1978), California Proposition 13 in 1978.


South America


Brazil

In Brazil, an expressway is known as ''Via Expressa'' and its function is to connect the most important streets and avenues of certain cities with their adjacent highways. Because of this, some expressways are numbered (in the same way as highways). According to the ''Código Brasileiro de Trânsito'' (Brazilian Traffic Code), expressways are officially defined as ''Vias de Trânsito Rápido'' (Rapid Transit Routes) and are considered the most important urban roads, with standard speed limits of 80 km/h (unless specified). A few examples of expressways include Marginal Tietê and Marginal Pinheiros in São Paulo; Avenida Brasil (Rio de Janeiro), Avenida Brasil, Red Line (Rio de Janeiro), Red Line and Yellow Line (Rio de Janeiro), Yellow Line in Rio de Janeiro; among others.


See also

* Supercorridor


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Limited-Access Road Limited-access roads, Expressways, Types of roads