![US 131, M-6, 68th St interchange](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/US_131%2C_M-6%2C_68th_St_interchange.jpg)
A controlled-access highway is a type of
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 ...
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 include ''
throughway
A thoroughfare is a primary passage or way as a transit route through regularly trafficked areas, whether by road on dry land or, by
extension, via watercraft or aircraft. On land, a thoroughfare may refer to anything from a multi-lane highway ...
'' and ''
parkway
A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare.''"parkway."''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (14 Apr. 2007). The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or ...
''. Some of these may be
limited-access highways
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 or arterial road for high-speed traffic which ...
, although this term can also refer to a class of highways with somewhat less isolation from other traffic.
In countries following the
Vienna convention, the motorway qualification implies that walking and parking are forbidden.
A fully controlled-access highway provides an unhindered flow of traffic, with no
traffic signals
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 ...
,
intersections or
property access. They are free of any
at-grade crossings with other roads, railways, or pedestrian paths, which are instead carried by
overpass
An overpass (called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An ''overpass'' and ''underpass'' together form ...
es and
underpass
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube constr ...
es. Entrances and exits to the highway are provided at
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 ...
by slip roads (ramps), which allow for speed changes between the highway and
arterials and
collector road
A collector road or distributor road is a low-to-moderate-capacity road which serves to move traffic from local streets to arterial roads. Unlike arterials, collector roads are designed to provide access to residential properties. Rarely, juris ...
s. On the controlled-access highway, opposing directions of travel are generally separated by a
median strip
The median strip, central reservation, roadway median, or traffic median is the reserved area that separates opposing lanes of traffic on divided roadways such as divided highways, dual carriageways, freeways, and motorways. The term also a ...
or central reservation containing a
traffic barrier
Traffic barriers (sometimes called Armco barriers,AK Steel (formerly Armco) genericized trademark also known in North America as guardrails or guard rails and in Britain as crash barriers) keep vehicles within their roadway and prevent them from ...
or grass. Elimination of conflicts with other directions of traffic dramatically improves safety and capacity and speed and traffic flow for everyone and time taken to reach the destination.
Controlled-access highways evolved during the first half of the 20th century.
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
opened its first ''
autostrada
The Autostrade (; singular ) are roads forming the Italian national system of motorways. The total length of the system is about . In North and Central Italy, the Autostrade mainly consists of tollways managed by Autostrade per l'Italia, a ...
'' in 1924,
A8, connecting
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
to
Varese
Varese ( , , or ; lmo, label= Varesino, Varés ; la, Baretium; archaic german: Väris) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 has reached 80,559.
It is the c ...
. Germany began to build its first controlled-access ''
autobahn
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'. ...
'' without speed limits ( on what is now
A555, then referred to as a ''dual highway'') in 1932 between
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
and
Bonn
The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr r ...
. It then rapidly constructed a nationwide system of such roads. The first
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
n ''freeways'' (known as parkways) opened in the
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 ...
area in the 1920s. Britain, heavily influenced by the railways, did not build its first ''motorway'', the
Preston By-pass
The Preston Bypass was the United Kingdom’s first motorway. It was designed and engineered by Lancashire County Council surveyor James Drake as part of a larger initiative to create a north-south motorway network that would later form part ...
(
M6), until 1958.
Most technologically advanced nations feature an extensive network of freeways or motorways to provide high-capacity urban travel, or high-speed rural travel, or both. Many have a national-level or even international-level (e.g.
European E route) system of
route number
A route (or road) number, designation or abbreviation is an identifying numeric (or alphanumeric) designation assigned by a highway authority to a particular stretch of roadway to distinguish it from other routes and, in many cases, also to indic ...
ing.
Definition standards
![E6-E20 Olskroksmotet in Gothenburg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/E6-E20_Olskroksmotet_in_Gothenburg.png)
There are several international standards that give some definitions of words such as motorways, but there is no formal definition of the English language words such as ''freeway'', ''motorway'', and ''expressway'', or of the equivalent words in other languages such as , , , , that are accepted worldwide—in most cases these words are defined by local statute or design standards or regional international treaties. Descriptions that are widely used include:
;
Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals
The Convention on Road Signs and Signals, commonly known as the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, is a multilateral treaty designed to increase road safety and aid international road traffic by standardising the signing system for roa ...
::"Motorway" means a road specially designed and built for motor traffic that does not serve properties bordering on it, and that:
:# Is provided, except at special points or temporarily, with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic, separated from each other either by a dividing strip not intended for traffic or, exceptionally, by other means;
:# Does not cross at level with any road, railway or tramway track, or footpath; and,
:# Is specially sign-posted as a motorway;
One green or blue symbol (like
![Freeway in Iran](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Freeway_in_Iran.svg)
) appears at motorway entry in countries that follow the Vienna Convention. Exits are marked with another symbol:
![Sweden road sign E2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Sweden_road_sign_E2.svg)
.
The definitions of "motorway" from the
OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; french: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, ''OCDE'') is an intergovernmental organisation with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate e ...
and
PIARC
PIARC (World Road Association) is an international forum for the discussion of all aspects of roads and road networks.
Overview
Though established principally for professionals in its 122 member countries round the world, it also provides a ...
are almost identical.
;
British Standards
British Standards (BS) are the standards produced by the BSI Group which is incorporated under a royal charter and which is formally designated as the Standards organization#National standards bodies, national standards body (NSB) for the UK. The ...
::''Motorway'': Limited-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 ...
road, not crossed on the same level by other
traffic lanes, for the exclusive use of certain classes of motor vehicle.
;
ITE (including
CITE
A citation is a reference to a source. More precisely, a citation is an abbreviated alphanumeric expression embedded in the body of an intellectual work that denotes an entry in the bibliographic references section of the work for the purpose of ...
)
::''Freeway'': A divided major roadway with full control of access and with no crossings at grade. This definition applies to toll as well as toll-free roads.
:::''Freeway A'': This designates roadways with greater visual complexity and high traffic volumes. Usually this type of freeway will be found in metropolitan areas in or near the central core and will operate through much of the early evening hours of darkness at or near design capacity.
:::''Freeway B'': This designates all other divided roadways with full control of access where lighting is needed.
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 ...
, for statistical and safety purposes, some distinction might be made between ''motorway'' and ''expressway''. For instance a principal arterial might be considered as:
Roads serving long distance and mainly interurban movements. Includes motorways (urban or rural) and expressways (road which does not serve properties bordering on it and which is provided with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic). Principal arterials may cross through urban areas, serving suburban movements. The traffic is characterized by
high speeds and full or partial access control (interchanges or junctions controlled by traffic lights). Other roads leading to a principal arterial are connected to it through side collector roads.
In this view, CARE's definition stands that a motorway is understood as a
public road with dual carriageways and at least two lanes each way. All entrances and exits are signposted and all interchanges are grade separated. Central barrier or median present throughout the road. No crossing is permitted, while stopping is permitted only in an emergency. Restricted access to motor vehicles, prohibited to pedestrians, animals, pedal cycles, mopeds, agricultural vehicles. The minimum speed is not lower than and the maximum speed is not higher than (except 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 betwe ...
where no speed limit is defined).
Motorways are designed to carry heavy traffic at high speed with the lowest possible number of accidents. They are also designed to collect long-distance traffic from other roads, so that conflicts between long-distance traffic and local traffic are avoided. According to the common European definition, a motorway is defined as "a road, specially designed and built for motor traffic, which does not serve properties bordering on it, and which: (a) is provided, except at special points or temporarily, with separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic, separated from each other, either by a dividing strip not intended for traffic, or exceptionally by other means; (b) does not cross at level with any road, railway or tramway track, or footpath; (c) is specially sign-posted as a motorway and is reserved for specific categories of road motor vehicles." Urban motorways are also included in this definition. However, the respective national definitions and the type of roads covered may present slight differences in different EU countries.
History
![Mappa storica A8](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Mappa_storica_A8.svg)
The first version of modern controlled-access highways evolved during the first half of the 20th century. The
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 ...
on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
,
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
* '' ...
, opened in 1908 as a private venture, was the world's first limited-access roadway. It included many modern features, including
banked turn
A banked turn (or banking turn) is a turn or change of direction in which the vehicle banks or inclines, usually towards the inside of the turn. For a road or railroad this is usually due to the roadbed having a transverse down-slope towards the ...
s,
guard rail
Guard rail, guardrails, or protective guarding, in general, are a boundary feature and may be a means to prevent or deter access to dangerous or off-limits areas while allowing light and visibility in a greater way than a fence. Common shapes ...
s and reinforced concrete
tarmac Tarmac may refer to:
Engineered surfaces
* Tarmacadam, a mainly historical tar-based material for macadamising road surfaces, patented in 1902
* Asphalt concrete, a macadamising material using asphalt instead of tar which has largely superseded ta ...
.
Modern controlled-access highways originated in the early 1920s in response to the rapidly increasing 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 ...
, the demand for faster movement between cities and as a consequence of improvements in paving processes, techniques and materials. These original high-speed roads were referred to as "
dual highway
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" and, while divided, bore little resemblance to the highways of today.
The first dual highway opened in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
in 1924, between
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
and
Varese
Varese ( , , or ; lmo, label= Varesino, Varés ; la, Baretium; archaic german: Väris) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 has reached 80,559.
It is the c ...
, and now forms parts of the
A8 and
A9 motorways. This highway, while divided, contained only one lane in each direction and no interchanges. Shortly thereafter, in New York in 1924, 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 Avenue ...
was opened to traffic. The Bronx River Parkway was the first road in North America to utilize a median strip to separate the opposing lanes, to be constructed through a park and where intersecting streets crossed over bridges. The
Southern State Parkway
The Southern State Parkway (also known as the Southern State or Southern Parkway; abbreviated as SO on Road signs in the United States, signage) is a limited-access highway on Long Island, New York (state), New York, in the United States. The pa ...
opened in 1927, while the
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 ...
was closed in 1937 and replaced by the
Northern State Parkway
The Northern State Parkway (also known as the Northern Parkway or Northern State) is a limited-access state parkway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The western terminus is at the Queens– Nassau County line, where the parkway co ...
(opened 1931) and the contiguous
Grand Central Parkway
The Grand Central Parkway (GCP) is a 14.61-mile (23.51 km) long parkway that stretches from the Triborough Bridge in New York City to Nassau County on Long Island. At the Queens–Nassau border, it becomes the Northern State Parkway, w ...
(opened 1936). In Germany, construction of the
Bonn-Cologne Autobahn began in 1929 and was opened in 1932 by
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer (; 5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a Germany, German statesman who served as the first Chancellor of Germany, chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the fir ...
, then the mayor of
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
.
In
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, the first precursor with semi-controlled access was
The Middle Road
The Middle Road was the name for a historic highway in the Canadian province of Ontario, which served to link the cities of Toronto and Hamilton. The name was used between 1931 and 1939, after which the road became the northern section of the Que ...
between
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
and
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
, which featured a median divider between opposing traffic flow, as well as the nation's first
cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...
. This highway developed into the
Queen Elizabeth Way
The Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) is a 400-series highway in the Canadian province of Ontario linking Toronto with the Niagara Peninsula and Buffalo, New York. The freeway begins at the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie and travels around the western ...
, which featured a cloverleaf and
trumpet interchange
In the field of road transport, an interchange (American English) or a grade-separated junction (British English) is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, using ...
when it opened in 1937, and until the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, boasted the longest illuminated stretch of roadway built. A decade later, the first section of
Highway 401
King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one,
is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian provin ...
was opened, based on earlier designs. It has since gone on to become the busiest highway in the world.
The word ''freeway'' was first used in February 1930 by
Edward M. Bassett.
Bassett argued that roads should be classified into three basic types: highways,
parkway
A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare.''"parkway."''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged. Merriam-Webster, 2002. http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com (14 Apr. 2007). The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or ...
s, and freeways.
In Bassett's
zoning
Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...
and
property law
Property law is the area of law that governs the various forms of ownership in real property (land) and personal property. Property refers to legally protected claims to resources, such as land and personal property, including intellectual pro ...
-based system,
abutting property owners have the rights of
light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...
,
air
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
and access to highways, but not parkways and freeways; the latter two are distinguished in that the purpose of a parkway is recreation, while the purpose of a freeway is movement.
Thus, as originally conceived, a freeway is simply a strip of public land devoted to movement to which abutting property owners do not have rights of light, air or access.
Design
![Highway 401](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Highway_401.png)
Freeways, by definition, have no at-grade
intersections with other roads,
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
s or
multi-use trail
A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is 'designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists'. Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...
s. Therefore, no traffic signals are needed and through traffic on freeways does not normally need to stop at traffic signals. Some countries, such as the United States, allow for limited exceptions: some
movable bridge
A moveable bridge, or movable bridge, is a bridge that moves to allow passage for boats or barges. In American English, the term is synonymous with , and the latter is the common term, but drawbridge can be limited to the narrower, historical d ...
s, for instance the
Interstate Bridge
The Interstate Bridge (also Columbia River Interstate Bridge, I-5 Bridge, Portland-Vancouver Interstate Bridge, Vancouver-Portland Bridge) is a pair of nearly identical steel vertical-lift, Parker through-truss bridges that carry Interstate 5 ...
on
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Califor ...
between
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
and
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, do require drivers to stop for
ship
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
traffic.
The crossing of freeways by other routes is typically achieved with grade separation either in the form of
underpass
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube constr ...
es or
overpass
An overpass (called an overbridge or flyover in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries) is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An ''overpass'' and ''underpass'' together form ...
es. In addition to
sidewalk
A sidewalk (North American English), pavement (British English), footpath in Australia, India, New Zealand and Ireland, or footway, is a path along the side of a street, street, highway, terminals. Usually constructed of concrete, pavers, brick ...
s (pavements) attached to roads that cross a freeway, specialized
pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically.
The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...
footbridge
A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...
s or
tunnels
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A Pipeline transport, pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used ...
may also be provided. These structures enable pedestrians and
cyclist
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
s to cross the freeway at that point without a detour to the nearest road crossing.
Access to freeways is typically provided only at 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 ...
, though lower-standard
right-in/right-out
Right-in/right-out (RIRO) and left-in/left-out (LILO) refer to a type of three-way road intersection where turning movements of vehicles are restricted. A RIRO permits only right turns and a LILO permits only left turns. "Right-in" and "left-in" r ...
(left-in/left-out in countries that drive on the left) access can be used for direct connections to side roads. In many cases, sophisticated interchanges allow for smooth, uninterrupted transitions between intersecting freeways and busy
arterial road
An arterial road or arterial thoroughfare is a high-capacity urban road that sits below freeways/motorways on the road hierarchy in terms of traffic flow and speed. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector ro ...
s. However, sometimes it is necessary to exit onto a surface road to transfer from one freeway to another. One example in the United States (notorious for the resulting congestion) is the connection from
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 in ...
to the
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...
(
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 in ...
and
Interstate 76
Interstate 76 may refer to:
Interstate Highways in the United States
* Interstate 76 (Colorado–Nebraska)
* Interstate 76 (Ohio–New Jersey), running through Pennsylvania
Video gaming
* ''Interstate '76
''Interstate '76'' is a vehicular ...
) through the town of
Breezewood, Pennsylvania
Breezewood is an unincorporated town in East Providence Township, Bedford County in south-central Pennsylvania.
Along a traditional pathway for Native Americans, European settlers, and British troops during colonial times, in the early 20th ce ...
.
Speed limit
Speed limits on road traffic, as used in most countries, set the legal maximum speed at which vehicles may travel on a given stretch of road. Speed limits are generally indicated on a traffic sign reflecting the maximum permitted speed - expres ...
s are generally higher on freeways and are occasionally nonexistent (as on much of Germany's
Autobahn
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'. ...
network). Because higher speeds reduce decision time, freeways are usually equipped with a larger number of
guide sign
Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduce ...
s than other roads, and the signs themselves are physically larger. Guide signs are often mounted on overpasses or overhead
gantries so that drivers can see where each lane goes. Exit numbers are commonly derived from the exit's distance in miles or kilometers from the start of the freeway. In some areas, there are public
rest area
A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names include motorway servi ...
s or
service areas on freeways, as well as
emergency phone
An emergency telephone is a phone specifically provided for making calls to emergency services and is most often found in a place of special danger or where it is likely that there will be a need to make emergency calls. It is also sometimes kn ...
s on the
shoulder
The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder mak ...
at regular intervals.
In the United States,
milepost
A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway line, canal or boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks; or they can give their position on the route relative to so ...
s usually start at the southern or westernmost point on the freeway (either its terminus or the state line).
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
and
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
use
postmile systems in which the markers indicate mileage through the state's individual counties. However, Nevada and Ohio also use the standard milepost system concurrently with their respective postmile systems. California numbers its exits off its freeways according to a milepost system but does not use milepost markers.
![Ireland Road Lanes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Ireland_Road_Lanes.svg)
In Europe and some other countries, motorways typically have similar characteristics such as:
* A typical design speed in the range of
* Minimum values for horizontal curve radii around .
* Maximum longitudinal gradients typically not exceeding 4% to 5%.
* Cross sections incorporating a minimum of two through-traffic lanes for each direction of travel, with a typical width of each, separated by a central median.
* An obstacle-free zone varying from , or alternatively installation of appropriate vehicle restraint systems.
* Proper design of grade-separated interchanges to provide for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways on different levels.
* More frequent (compared to other road types) construction of tunnels and overpasses, requiring complex equipment and methods of operation.
* Installation of highly efficient road equipment and traffic control devices.
Cross sections
Two-lane freeway
A two-lane expressway or two-lane freeway is an expressway or freeway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes ris ...
s, often undivided, are sometimes built when traffic volumes are low or right-of-way is limited; they may be designed for easy conversion to one side of a four-lane freeway. (For example, most of the
Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway
The Bert T. Combs Mountain Parkway, commonly known as the Mountain Parkway, is a freeway in eastern Kentucky. The route runs from Interstate 64 just east of Winchester, Kentucky, Winchester southeast for 75.627 miles (121.710 km) to a jun ...
in eastern
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
is two lanes, but work has begun to make all of it four-lane.) These are often called
Super two
A super two, super two-lane highway or wide two-lane is a two-lane surface road built to highway standards with wide lanes and other safety features normally present on a freeway with more lanes, typically including partial control of access, o ...
roads. Several such roads are infamous for a high rate of lethal crashes; an outcome because they were designed for short sight distances (sufficient for freeways without oncoming traffic, but insufficient for the years in service as two-lane road with oncoming traffic). An example of such a "Highway to Hell" was
European route E4
European route E4 passes from north to south through Sweden from the border with Finland, with a total length of . The Finnish part lies entirely within Tornio in northern Finland, and is only long. The Swedish part traverses most of Sweden ex ...
from
Gävle
Gävle () is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 77,586 inhabitants in 2020, which makes it the 13th most populated city in Sweden. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland (Swede ...
to
Axmartavlan, Sweden. The high rate of crashes with severe personal injuries on that (and similar) roads did not cease until a median crash barrier was installed, transforming the fatal crashes into non-fatal crashes. Otherwise, freeways typically have at least two lanes in each direction; some busy ones can have as many as 16 or more lanes
[Portions of the ]Downtown Connector
In Downtown Atlanta, the Downtown Connector or 75/85 (pronounced "seventy-five eighty-five") is the concurrent section of Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 through the core of the city. Beginning at the I-85/ Langford Parkway interchange, ...
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, have eight lanes in each direction. in total.
In
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
,
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Califor ...
has a similar system of express and local lanes for a maximum width of 21 lanes on a segment between
Interstate 805
Interstate 805 (I-805) is a major north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass auxiliary route of I-5, running roughly through the center of the Greater San Diego region from San Ysidro (part of the c ...
and
California State Route 56
State Route 56 (SR 56) is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of California. It runs from Interstate 5 (I-5) in the Carmel Valley neighborhood of San Diego to I-15. The eastern terminus of the highway is also the western en ...
. In
Mississauga
Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popul ...
, Ontario,
Highway 401
King's Highway 401, commonly referred to as Highway 401 and also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway or colloquially referred to as the four-oh-one,
is a controlled-access 400-series highway in the Canadian provin ...
uses
collector-express lanes for a total of 18 lanes through its intersection with
Highway 403
The following highways are numbered 403:
Canada
* Manitoba Provincial Road 403
* Newfoundland and Labrador Route 403
* Highway 403 (Ontario)
Costa Rica
* National Route 403
Croatia
* D403 road
Hungary
* Main road 403 (Hungary)
Japan
* Jap ...
/
Highway 410
The following highways are numbered 410:
Canada
*Manitoba Provincial Road 410
* Newfoundland and Labrador Route 410
Route 410, also known as Dorset Trail, is an north-south highway on the northern coast of Newfoundland in the Canadian province o ...
and
Highway 427
The following highways are numbered 427:
Canada
*Manitoba Provincial Road 427
* Ontario Highway 427
India
*National Highway 427 (India)
Japan
* Japan National Route 427
United States
* County Road 427 (Seminole County, Florida)
* Indi ...
.
These wide freeways may use separate
collector and express lanes to separate through traffic from local traffic, or special
high-occupancy vehicle lane
A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers, i ...
s, either as a special restriction on the innermost lane or a separate roadway, to encourage
carpool
Carpooling (also car-sharing, ride-sharing and lift-sharing) is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car, and prevents the need for others to have to drive to a location themselves.
By having more people usi ...
ing. These
HOV lane
A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers, i ...
s, or roadways open to all traffic, can be
reversible lane
A reversible lane (British English: tidal flow) is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions. Typically, it is meant to improve traffic flow during rush hours, by having overhead traffic lights and li ...
s, providing more capacity in the direction of heavy traffic, and reversing direction before traffic switches. Sometimes a
collector/distributor road, a shorter version of a local lane, shifts weaving between closely spaced interchanges to a separate roadway or altogether eliminates it.
In some parts of the world, notably
parts of the US,
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 drivew ...
s form an integral part of the freeway system. These parallel surface roads provide a transition between high-speed "through" traffic and local traffic. Frequent slip-ramps provide access between the freeway and the frontage road, which in turn provides direct access to local roads and businesses.
Except on some
two-lane freeway
A two-lane expressway or two-lane freeway is an expressway or freeway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes ris ...
s (and very rarely on wider freeways), a
median
In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...
separates the opposite directions of traffic. This strip may be as simple as a grassy area, or may include a
crash barrier
Traffic barriers (sometimes called Armco barriers,AK Steel (formerly Armco) genericized trademark also known in North America as guardrails or guard rails and in Britain as crash barriers) keep vehicles within their roadway and prevent them fro ...
such as a "
Jersey barrier
A Jersey barrier, Jersey wall, or Jersey bump is a modular concrete or plastic barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing vehicle crossovers resu ...
" or an "Ontario Tall Wall" to prevent
head-on collision
A head-on collision is a traffic collision where the front ends of two vehicles such as cars, trains, ships or planes hit each other when travelling in opposite directions, as opposed to a side collision or rear-end collision.
Rail transport ...
s. On some freeways, the two carriageways are built on different alignments; this may be done to make use of available corridors in a mountainous area or to provide narrower corridors through dense
urban area
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
s.
Control of access
Control of access relates to a legal status which limits the types of vehicles that can use a highway, as well as a
road design
Highway engineering is an engineering discipline branching from civil engineering that involves the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of roads, bridges, and tunnels to ensure safe and effective transportation of people and ...
that limits the points at which they can access it.
Major
arterial road
An arterial road or arterial thoroughfare is a high-capacity urban road that sits below freeways/motorways on the road hierarchy in terms of traffic flow and speed. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector ro ...
s will often have ''partial access control'', meaning that side roads will intersect the main road at grade, instead of using interchanges, but driveways may not connect directly to the main road, and drivers must use intersecting roads to access adjacent land. At arterial junctions with relatively quiet side roads, traffic is controlled mainly by two-way stop signs which do not impose significant interruptions on traffic using the main highway.
Roundabout
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...
s are often used at busier intersections in Europe because they help minimize interruptions in flow, while traffic signals that create greater interference with traffic are still preferred in North America. There may be occasional interchanges with other major arterial roads. Examples include
US 23 between
SR 15's eastern terminus and
Delaware, Ohio
Delaware is a city in and the county seat of Delaware County, Ohio, United States. Delaware was founded in 1808 and was incorporated in 1816. It is located near the center of Ohio, is about north of Columbus, and is part of the Columbus, Ohio m ...
, along with SR 15 between its eastern terminus and
I-75
Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from St ...
,
US 30,
SR 29/
US 33, and
US 35 in western and central Ohio. This type of road is sometimes called an expressway.
Non-motorized access on freeways
Freeways are usually limited to motor vehicles of a minimum power or weight; signs may prohibit
cyclist
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
s,
pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically.
The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...
s and
equestrians
Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...
and impose a minimum speed. It is possible for non-motorized traffic to use facilities within the same right-of-way, such as
sidewalk
A sidewalk (North American English), pavement (British English), footpath in Australia, India, New Zealand and Ireland, or footway, is a path along the side of a street, street, highway, terminals. Usually constructed of concrete, pavers, brick ...
s constructed along freeway-standard
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
s and
multi-use path
A shared-use path, mixed-use path or multi-use pathway is a path which is 'designed to accommodate the movement of pedestrians and cyclists'. Examples of shared-use paths include sidewalks designated as shared-use, bridleways and rail trails. A ...
s next to freeways such as the
Suncoast Trail along the
Suncoast Parkway Suncoast may refer to:
* Florida Suncoast, a 1980s marketing term for peninsular (non-panhandle) Florida's Gulf of Mexico coastal counties
** Florida Suncoast Dome, the original name of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida
** Suncoast Center, ...
in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
.
![De lucht](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/De_lucht.jpg)
In some US jurisdictions, especially where freeways replace existing roads,
non-motorized access on freeways
Non-motorized access on freeways may allow or restrict pedestrians, bicyclists and other non-motorized traffic to use a freeway. Such roads are public ways intended primarily for high-speed travel over long distances, and they have resulted in hig ...
is permitted. Different states of the United States have different laws. Cycling on freeways in
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
may be prohibited only where there is an alternative route judged equal or better for cycling.
Wyoming
Wyoming () is a U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho to the west, Utah to the south ...
, the least densely populated state, allows cycling on all freeways.
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
allows bicycles except on specific urban freeways in
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
and
Medford.
In countries such as the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
new motorways require an
Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...
to ensure restricted right of way. Since upgrading an existing road (the "Queen's Highway") to a full motorway will result in extinguishing the
right of access of certain groups such as pedestrians, cyclists and slow-moving traffic, many controlled access roads are not full motorways. In some cases motorways are linked by short stretches of road where alternative rights of way are not practicable such as the
Dartford Crossing
The Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing, commonly known as the Dartford Crossing and until 1991 the Dartford Tunnel, is a major road crossing of the River Thames in England, carrying the A282 road between Dartford in Kent in the south and Thurr ...
(the furthest downstream public crossing of the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
) or where it was not economic to build a motorway alongside the existing road such as the former
Cumberland Gap
The Cumberland Gap is a pass through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, within the Appalachian Mountains, near the junction of the U.S. states of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. It is famous in American colonial history for its rol ...
. The
A1 is a good example of piece-wise upgrading to motorway standard—as of January 2013, the route had five stretches of motorway (designated as A1(M)), reducing to four stretches in March 2018 with completion of the A1(M) through
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
.
Construction techniques
![Auto put hitna pomoć](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Auto_put_hitna_pomo%C4%87.jpg)
The most frequent way freeways are laid out is by building them from the ground up after obstructions such as forestry or buildings are cleared away. Sometimes they deplete farmland, but other methods have been developed for economic, social and even environmental reasons.
Full freeways are sometimes made by converting at-grade expressways or by replacing at-grade intersections with overpasses; however, in the US, any at-grade intersection that ends a freeway often remains an at-grade intersection. Often, when there is a two-lane undivided freeway or expressway, it is converted by constructing a parallel twin corridor, and leaving a median between the two travel directions. The median-side travel lane of the old two-way corridor becomes a passing lane.
Other techniques involve building a new carriageway on the side of a divided highway that has a lot of private access on one side and sometimes has long driveways on the other side since an easement for widening comes into place, especially in rural areas.
When a "third" carriageway is added, sometimes it can shift a directional carriageway by (or maybe more depending on land availability) as a way to retain private access on one side that favors over the other. Other methods involve constructing a service drive that shortens the long driveways (typically by less than ).
Interchanges and access points
![High_Five_Interchange_2007](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/High_Five_Interchange_2007.jpg)
An interchange or a junction is a highway layout that permits traffic from one controlled-access highway to access another and vice versa, whereas an access point is a highway layout where traffic from a distributor or local road can join a controlled-access highway. Some countries, such as the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, do not distinguish between the two, but others make a distinction; for example,
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 betwe ...
uses the words ''Kreuz'' ("cross") or ''Dreieck'' ("triangle") for the former and ''Ausfahrt'' ("exit") for the latter. In all cases one road crosses the other via a bridge or a tunnel, as opposed to an
at-grade crossing
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 ...
.
The inter-connecting roads, or
slip-roads, which link the two roads, can follow any one of a number of patterns. The actual pattern is determined by a number of factors including local topology, traffic density, land cost, building costs, type of road, etc. In some jurisdictions feeder/distributor lanes are common, especially for
cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...
s; in others, such as the United Kingdom, where the
roundabout interchange
A roundabout interchange is a type of interchange between a controlled access highway, such as a motorway or freeway, and a minor road. The slip roads to and from the motorway carriageways converge at a single roundabout, which is grade-separa ...
is common, feeder/distributor lanes are seldom seen.
Motorways in Europe typically differ between exits and junctions. An exit leads out of the motorway system, whilst a junction is a crossing between motorways or a split/merge of two motorways. The ''motorway rules'' end at exits, but not at junctions. However, on some bridges, motorways, without changing appearance, temporarily end between the two exits closest to the bridge (or tunnel), and continues as ''dual carriageways''. This is in order to give slower vehicles a possibility to use the bridge. The
Queen Elizabeth II Bridge
The Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing, commonly known as the Dartford Crossing and until 1991 the Dartford Tunnel, is a major road crossing of the River Thames in England, carrying the A282 road between Dartford in Kent in the south and Thurro ...
/
Dartford tunnel
The Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing, commonly known as the Dartford Crossing and until 1991 the Dartford Tunnel, is a major road crossing of the River Thames in England, carrying the A282 road between Dartford in Kent in the south and Thurro ...
at
London Orbital
The M25 or London Orbital Motorway is a major road encircling most of Greater London. The motorway is one of the most important roads in the UK and one of the busiest. Margaret Thatcher opened the final section in 1986, making the M25 the lon ...
is an example of this. London Orbital or the M25 is a motorway surrounding
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, but at the last
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
crossing before its mouth, motorway rules do not apply. (At this crossing the London Orbital is labeled A282 instead.)
A few of the more common types of
junction
Junction may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Junction'' (film), a 2012 American film
* Jjunction, a 2002 Indian film
* Junction (album), a 1976 album by Andrew Cyrille
* Junction (EP), by Basement Jaxx, 2002
* Junction (manga), or ''Hot ...
are shown below:
Safety
There are many differences between countries in their geography, economy, traffic growth, highway system size, degree of urbanization and motorization, etc.; all of which need to be taken into consideration when comparisons are made. According to some EU papers, safety progress on motorways is the result of several changes, including infrastructure safety and road user behavior (speed or seat belt use), while other matters such as vehicle safety and mobility patterns have an impact that has not been quantified.
Motorways compared with other roads
Motorways are the safest roads by design. While accounting for more than one quarter of all kilometres driven, they contributed only 8% of the total number of European road deaths in 2006. Germany's Federal Highway Research Institute provided
International Road Traffic and Accident Database {{Multiple issues, {{No references, date=September 2022
{{tone, date=September 2022
The International Road Traffic and Accident Database (IRTAD) collects and aggregates international data on road crashes. It thereby provides an empirical basis for ...
(IRTAD) statistics for the year 2010, comparing overall fatality rates with motorway rates (regardless of traffic intensity):
The German
autobahn
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'. ...
network illustrates the safety trade-offs of controlled access highways. The injury crash rate is very low on autobahns,
while 22 people died per 1,000 injury crashes—although autobahns have a lower rate than the 29 deaths per 1,000 injury accidents on conventional rural roads, the rate is higher than the risk on urban roads. Speeds are higher on rural roads and autobahns than urban roads, increasing the severity potential of a crash.
According to ETSC, German motorways without a speed limit, but with a speed recommendation, are 25% more deadly than motorways with a speed limit.
Germany also introduced some speed limits on various motorway sections which were not limited. This generated a reduction in deaths in a range from 20% to 50% on those sections.
Causes of accidents
Speed, in Europe, is considered to be one of the main contributory factors to collisions. Some countries, such as France and Switzerland, have achieved a death reduction by a better monitoring of speed. Tools used for monitoring speed might be an increase in traffic density; improved speed enforcement and stricter regulation leading to driver license withdrawal; safety cameras; penalty point; and higher fines. Some other countries use automatic time-over-distance cameras (also known as ''section controls'') to manage speed.
Fatigue is considered as a risk factor more specific to monotonous roads such as motorways, although such data are not monitored/recorded in many countries.
According to
Vinci Autoroutes
Vinci may refer to:
Places
* Vinci, Tuscany, a ''comune'' in the Province of Florence, Italy
* Vinci (Golubac), a community in Braničevo District, Serbia
People
* Alessandro Vinci (born 1987), Italian footballer
*Alessio Vinci (born 1968), Ita ...
, one third of accidents in French motorways are due to sleepy driving.
23% of people killed on French motorways were not wearing seat belts, while 98% of front-seat passengers and 87% of rear-seat passenger wear seat belts.
Fatalities trends
Although safety results do not change much from year to year, in Europe some changes have been observed: motorway fatalities decreased by 41% during the 2006–2015 decade, but increased by 10% between 2014 and 2015. However, taking into account motorway network length to reflect exposure, data shows that fatalities per thousand kilometres halved between 2006 and 2015.
Toll effect
A
University of Barcelona
The University of Barcelona ( ca, Universitat de Barcelona, UB; ; es, link=no, Universidad de Barcelona) is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, in Spain. With 63,000 students, it is one of the biggest universities i ...
study suggests that if
tolls are implemented on a controlled-access highway, drivers may
seek alternative routes to avoid paying the tolls. This may result in a decrease of safety on roads which are not designed for heavy traffic.
Safety in urban areas
In the United Kingdom, there are very few studies regarding the impact of road traffic accidents from existing and new urban motorways. In particular, new urban motorways do not grant a reduction of traffic accidents.
In Italy, a study performed on urban motorway
A56 ''Tangenziale di Napoli'' showed that reduction of speed leads to a decrease in accidents.
In
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
, France, from June 2009 to May 2010, CEREMA, the French centre for studies on risk, mobility and environment, performed a study on ''Marius'', a network of urban motorways. This study established a link between accidents and traffic variables:
* for single vehicle accidents, the 6-minute average speed on the fast lane; and the time headway (on every lane),
* for multiple vehicle accidents, the occupancy, and the time headway (for the middle lane).
The Marius network counts 292 injury accidents or fatalities for 1.5 billion of vehicle-kilometres, that is 189 injury accidents or fatalities for 1 billion of vehicle-kilometres.
Some European countries have improved safety of urban motorways, with a set of measures to dynamically manage traffic flow in response to changing volumes, speeds, and incidents, including:
* Variable speed limits, line control, and speed harmonization
* Shoulder running with emergency refuge areas
* Queue warning and variable messaging
* 24/7 monitoring of traffic with cameras and/or in-pavement sensors (both to detect incidents and identify when to reduce speed limits)
* Incident management
* Automated enforcement
* Specialized algorithms for temporary shoulder running, variable speed limits, and/or incident detection and management
* Ramp metering (coordinated or independent function)
In 1994, it was assumed that lighting urban motorways would benefit from more safety than unlighted ones.
In
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, in 2001, a study established, for urban freeways, some relationships among urban freeway accidents, traffic flow, weather, and lighting conditions:
* it establishes a difference between dry freeways in daylight and wet freeways in darkness
* it establishes that left-lane collisions are more likely induced by volume effects, while right-lane collisions are more closely tied to speed variances in adjacent lanes (in California, people drive in the right lane except when passing).
Environmental effects
![Highway 401 Night Lapse Busy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Highway_401_Night_Lapse_Busy.jpg)
Controlled-access highways have been constructed both between major cities as well as within them, leading to the sprawling
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
an development found near most modern cities. Highways have been heavily criticized by environmentalists, urbanists, and preservationists for the noise, pollution, and economic shifts they bring. Additionally, they have been criticized by the driving public for the inefficiency with which they handle peak hour traffic.
Often, rural highways open up vast areas to economic development and municipal services, generally raising property values. In contrast to this, above-grade highways in urban areas are often a source of lowered property values, contributing to
urban decay
Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban deca ...
. Even with overpasses and underpasses, neighbourhoods are divided—especially impoverished ones where residents are less likely to own a car, or to have the political and economic influence to resist construction efforts. Beginning in the early 1970s, the
US Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washingto ...
identified freeways and other urban highways as responsible for most of the noise exposure of the US population.
Subsequently, computer models were developed to analyze freeway noise and aid in their design to help minimize noise exposure.
Some cities have implemented
freeway removal
Freeway removal is a public policy of urban planning policy to demolish freeways and create mixed-use urban areas, parks, residential, commercial, or other land uses. Such highway removal is often part of a policy to promote smart growth, transit ...
policies, under which freeways have been demolished and reclaimed as
boulevard
A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway.
Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls.
In American usage, boulevards may ...
s or parks, notably in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
(
Cheonggyecheon
Cheonggyecheon (Hangul: 청계천, ) is a modern public recreation space in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The massive urban renewal project is on the site of a stream that flowed before the rapid post-war economic development caused it to be co ...
),
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
(
Harbor Drive
Harbor Drive is a short roadway in Portland, Oregon, spanning a total length of , which primarily functions as a ramp to and from Interstate 5. It was once much longer, running along the western edge of the Willamette River in the downtown are ...
),
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 ...
(
West Side Elevated Highway
The West Side Elevated Highway (West Side Highway or Miller Highway, named for Julius Miller, Manhattan borough president from 1922 to 1930) was an elevated section of New York State Route 9A (NY 9A) running along the Hudson River in the New ...
),
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
(
Central Artery
The Central Artery (officially the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway) is a section of freeway in downtown Boston, Massachusetts; it is designated as Interstate 93, US 1 and Route 3.
The original Artery, constructed in the 1950s, was named after ...
),
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
(
Embarcadero Freeway
Embarcadero, the Spanish word for wharf, may also refer specifically to:
Places
* Embarcadero (Oakland), California
* Embarcadero (San Diego), California
** Embarcadero Circle, waterfront re-development project in San Diego
* Embarcadero (San Fran ...
),
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
(
Alaskan Way Viaduct
The Alaskan Way Viaduct ("the viaduct" for short) was an elevated freeway in Seattle, Washington, United States, that carried a section of State Route 99 (SR 99). The double-decked freeway ran north–south along the city's waterfront for , ...
), and
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
(
Park East Freeway
In Milwaukee, freeways were constructed in response to an 8.5% increase in population during the 1940s. Road plans were drawn up in the 1950s through the 1970s and several freeways were built. A lack of foresight resulted in several communities ...
).
An alternative to surface or above-ground freeway construction has been the construction of underground urban freeways using tunnelling technologies. This has been employed in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
and
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
, as well as the
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
n cities of
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
(which has five such freeways),
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
(which has three), and
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
(which has two). This has had the benefit of not creating heavily trafficked surface roads and, in the case of Melbourne's
EastLink freeway, prevented the destruction of an ecologically sensitive area.
Other Australian cities face similar problems (lack of available land, cost of home acquisition, aesthetic problems and community opposition).
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, which also has to contend with physical boundaries (the
Brisbane River
The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Go ...
) and rapid population increases, has embraced underground freeways. There are currently three open to traffic (Clem Jones Tunnel (CLEM7), Airport Link, Brisbane, Airport Link and Legacy Way) and one (East-West Link, Brisbane, East-West Link) is currently in planning. All of the tunnels are designed to act as an inner-city ring road or bypass system and include provision for public transport, whether underground or in reclaimed space on the surface. However, freeways are not beneficial for road-based public transport services, because the restricted access to the roadway means that it is awkward for passengers to get to the limited number of boarding points unless they drive to them, largely defeating the purpose.
In Canada, the extension of Highway 401 toward Detroit, known as the Ontario Highway 401#Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway, Herb Gray Parkway, has been designed with numerous tunnels and underpasses that provide land for parks and recreational uses.
Freeway opponents have found that freeway expansion is often self-defeating: expansion simply generates more traffic. That is, even if traffic congestion is initially shifted from local streets to a new or widened freeway, people will begin to use their cars more and commute from more remote locations. Over time, the freeway and its environs become congested again as both the average number and distance of trips increases. This phenomenon is known as induced demand.
Urban planning experts such as Drusilla Van Hengel, Joseph DiMento and Sherry Ryan argue that although properly designed and maintained freeways may be convenient and safe, at least in comparison to uncontrolled roads, they may not expand recreation, employment and education opportunities equally for different ethnic groups, or for people located in certain neighborhoods of any given city. Still, they may open new markets to some small businesses.
Construction of urban freeways for the US Interstate Highway System, which began in the late 1950s, led to the demolition of thousands of city blocks and the dislocation of many more thousands of people. The citizens of many inner city areas responded with the freeway and expressway revolts. Through the study of federal government of the United States, Washington's response, it can be shown that the most effective changes came not from executive or legislative action, but instead from policy implementation. One of the foremost rationales for the creation of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) was that an agency was needed to mediate between the conflicting interests of interstates and cities. Initially, these policies came as regulation of the state highway departments. Over time, USDOT officials re-focused highway building from a national level to the local scale. With this shift of perspective came an encouragement for alternative transportation, and locally based planning agencies.
At present, freeway expansion has largely stalled in the United States, due to a multitude of factors that converged in the 1970s: higher due process requirements prior to taking of private property, increasing land values, increasing costs for construction materials, local opposition to new freeways in urban cores, the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (which imposed the requirement that each new federally funded project must have an environmental impact statement or report) and falling gas tax revenues as a result of the nature of the flat-cent tax (it is not automatically adjusted for inflation), the tax revolt movement, and growing popular support for high-speed mass transit in lieu of new freeways.
Route numbering
United Kingdom
Great Britain
![Motorway number zones in England and Wales map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Motorway_number_zones_in_England_and_Wales_map.svg)
England and Wales
In England and Wales, the numbers of major motorways followed a numbering system separate to that of the A-road network, though based on the same principle of zones. Running clockwise from the M1 motorway, M1, the zones were defined for Zones 1 to 4 based on the proposed M2 motorway (Great Britain), M2, M3 motorway (Great Britain), M3 and M4 motorways. The M5 motorway, M5 and
M6 numbers were reserved for the other two planned long-distance motorways.
The Preston Bypass, the UK's first motorway, should have been numbered A6(M) under the scheme decided upon, but it was decided to keep the number M6 as had already been applied.
A map ''Showing Future Pattern of Principal National Routes'' was issued by the Ministry of War Transport in 1946 shortly before the law that allowed roads to be restricted to specified classes of vehicle (the Special Roads Act 1949) was passed. The first section of motorway, the M6 motorway, M6 Preston Bypass, opened in 1958, followed by the first major section of motorway (the M1 motorway, M1 between Crick, Northamptonshire, Crick and Berrygrove in Watford), which opened in 1959. From then until the 1980s, motorways opened at frequent intervals; by 1972 the first 1,600 kilometres (1,000 mi) of motorway had been built.
Whilst roads outside of urban areas continued to be built throughout the 1970s, opposition to urban routes became more pronounced. Most notably, plans by the Greater London Council for a series of London Ringways, ringways were cancelled following extensive Road protest in the United Kingdom, road protests and a rise in costs. In 1986 the single-ring, M25 motorway was completed as a compromise. In 1996 the total length of motorways reached 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi).
Motorways in Great Britain, as in numerous European countries, will nearly always have the following characteristics:
# No traffic lights (except occasionally on slip roads before reaching the main carriageway).
# Exit is nearly always via a numbered junction and slip road, with rare minor exceptions.
# Pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles below a specified engine size are banned.
# There is a central reservation separating traffic flowing in opposing directions. (The only exception to this is the A38(M) in Birmingham where the central reservation is replaced by another lane in which the direction of traffic changes depending on the time of day. There was another small spur motorway near Manchester with no solid central reservation, but this was declassified as a motorway in the 2000s.)
# No roundabouts on the main carriageway. This is only the case on motorways beginning with M (so called 'M' class). In the case of upgraded A roads with numbers ending with M (i.e. Ax(M)), roundabouts may exist on the main carriageway where they intersect 'M' class motorways. In all 'M' class motorways bar two, there are no roundabouts except at the point at which the motorway ends or the motorway designation ends. The only exceptions to this in Great Britain are:
#* the M271 motorway, M271 in Southampton which has a roundabout on the main carriageway where it meets the M27, but then continues as the M271 after the junction.
#* on the M60 motorway, M60. This came about as a result of renumbering sections of the M62 motorway, M62 and M66 motorway, M66 motorways near Manchester as the M60, to form a ring around the city. What was formerly the junction between the M62 and M66 now involves the clockwise M60 negotiating a roundabout, while traffic for the eastbound M62 and northbound M66 carries straight on from the M60. This junction, known as Simister, Simister Island, has been criticised for the presence of a roundabout and the numbered route turning off.
#* the A1(M) between the M62 in
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...
and Washington, Tyne and Wear, Washington in Tyne and Wear is built to full 'M' class standards without any roundabouts. It has been suggested that this section of the A1(M) should be reclassified as the northern extension of the M1.
It was proposed in 2013 that the Ax(M) format number would be used for the highest standard of a new classification of road referred to in England as
expressways, which would be roads without normal roundabouts or right turns across the central reservation, and with graded junctions. Such roads would have motorway-style restrictions but emergency reservations rather than standard major motorway-standard hard shoulders.
Scotland
In Scotland, where the Scottish Office (superseded by the Scottish Executive in 1999) rather than the Department for Transport, Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation had the decision, there is no zonal pattern, but rather the A-road rule is strictly enforced. It was decided to reserve the numbers 7, 8 and 9 for Scotland. The M8 motorway (Scotland), M8 follows the route of the A8 road (Great Britain), A8, and the A90 road (Great Britain), A90 became part of the M90 motorway, M90 when the A90 was re-routed along the path of the A85 road (Great Britain), A85.
Motorways follow an "M"-format, with two exceptions: the A823(M) near Rosyth joining the A823 to the M90, and the A74(M) between the English M6 at Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, Gretna and the M74 at Abington, South Lanarkshire, Abington.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland a distinct numbering system is used, which is separate from the rest of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, though the classification of roads along the lines of A, B and C is universal throughout the UK and the Isle of Man. According to a written answer to a parliamentary question to the Department for Infrastructure (Northern Ireland), Northern Ireland Minister for Regional Development, there is no known reason as to how Northern Ireland's road numbering system was devised. However motorways, as in the rest of the UK, are numbered M, with the two major motorways coming from Belfast being numbered M1 motorway (Northern Ireland), M1 and M2 motorway (Northern Ireland), M2. The M12 motorway, M12 is a short spur of the M1, with the M22 motorway (Northern Ireland), M22 being a short continuation (originally intended to be a spur) of the M2. There are two other motorways, the short M3 motorway (Northern Ireland), M3, the M5 motorway (Northern Ireland), M5 and a motorway section of the A8 road (Northern Ireland), A8 road, known as the A8(M) motorway (Northern Ireland), A8(M).
Republic of Ireland
![IMG 3245w](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/IMG_3245w.jpg)
In the Republic of Ireland, motorway and national road numbering is quite different from the UK convention. Since the passage of the Roads Act 1993, all motorways are part of, or form, national primary roads. These routes are numbered in series, (usually, radiating anti-clockwise from Dublin, starting with the N1/M1) using numbers from 1 to 33 (and, separately from the series, 50). Motorways use the number of the route of which they form part, with an M prefix rather than N for national road (or in theory, rather than R for ''regional road'').
In most cases, the motorway has been built as a bypass of a road previously forming the national road (e.g. the M7 motorway (Ireland), M7 bypassing roads previously forming the N7 road (Ireland), N7)—the bypassed roads are reclassified as Regional road (Ireland), regional roads, although updated signposting may not be provided for some time, and adherence to signage colour conventions is lax (regional roads have black-on-white directional signage, national routes use white-on-green).
Under the previous legislation, the Local Government (Roads and Motorways) Act 1974, motorways theoretically existed independently to national roads. However, the short sections of motorway opened during this act, except for the M50, always took their number from the national road that they were bypassing. The older road was not downgraded at this point (indeed, regional roads were not legislated for at this stage). Older signage at certain junctions on the M7 and M11 can be seen reflecting this earlier scheme, where for example N11 and M11 can be seen coexisting.
The M50 motorway (Ireland), M50, an entirely new national road, is an exception to the normal inheritance process, as it does not replace a road previously carrying an N number. The M50 was nevertheless legislated in 1994 as the N50 route (it had only a short section of non-motorway section from the Junction 11 Tallaght to Junction 12 Firhouse until its extension as the Southern Cross Motorway). The M50's designation was chosen as a recognisable number. As of 2010, the N34 is the next unused national primary road designation. In theory, a motorway in Ireland could form part of a regional road.
Australia
In
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, highway and motorway (also called freeway or expressway) numbers either use alpha-numeric route markers with M for motorways, freeways and expressways or national/state route markers.
Before the implementation of alpha-numeric route markers, controlled-access highways were marked with a Metroad, National Highway, National Route or State Route Marker. In
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, Metroad route markers were used for motorways and freeways, except the Pacific Motorway (Sydney–Newcastle), Pacific Motorway (then F3 Freeway), which was marked with a National Highway marker. In
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, Metroad, State routes were used for motorways and freeways. In
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, all motorways and freeways used State Route markers. In Western Australia, National Route markers are used for expressways and freeways.
After the implementation of alpha-numeric route markers, all route markers being used for motorways and freeways in Sydney and Melbourne were replaced with a M marker. In Brisbane, all but one motorway had its route marker replaced (Western Freeway, Brisbane, Western Fwy). In Western Australia, they have not implemented the new system yet.
You can read more at Road signs in Australia, Road Signs in Australia.
File:AUS Metroad 1.svg, Metroad, used in Metropolitan Sydney and Brisbane before the implementation of Alpha Numeric Route markers
File:AUROUTE32.png, National Route marker, used in Sydney for the Western Freeway and the Princes Motorway (then F6 Freeway). Still in use in Western Australia
File:Australian State Route 70.svg, State Route marker, used for Motorways in Brisbane and Western Australia
File:Australian National Route 31.svg, National Highway, used for the Pacific Motorway (then F3 Fwy) and Hume Freeway/Highway.
File:Australian alpha-numeric route shield (M1).svg, Alpha Numeric route marker. Replaced all previous route markers in Sydney and Victoria. Partially in Brisbane.
Elsewhere
![Loc](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Loc.-Lugano.PNG)
In Hungary, similar to Ireland, motorway numbers can be derived from the original national highway numbers (1–7), with an M prefix attached, e.g. M7 motorway (Hungary), M7 is on the route of the old Highway 7 from Budapest towards Lake Balaton and Croatia. New motorways not following the original Budapest-centred radial highway system get numbers M8, M9, etc., or M0 in the case of the ring road around Budapest.
In the Netherlands, motorway numbers can be derived from the original national highway numbers, but with an A (''List of motorways in the Netherlands, Autosnelweg'') prefix attached, like A9 motorway (Netherlands), A9.
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 betwe ...
federal motorways have the prefix A (''
Autobahn
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'. ...
''). If the following number is odd, the motorway generally follows a north–south direction, while even-numbered motorways generally follow an east–west direction. Other controlled-access roads (dual carriageways) in Germany can be federal highways (''Bundesstraßen''), state highways (''Landesstraßen''), district highways (''Kreisstraßen'') and city highways (''Stadtstraßen''), each with their own numbering system.
In New Zealand, as well as in Brazil, Russia, Finland, and the Scandinavian countries, motorway numbers are derived from the state highway route that they form a part of, but unlike Hungary and Ireland, they are not distinguished from non-motorway sections of the same state highway route. In the cases where a new motorway acts as a bypass of a state highway route, the original state highway is either stripped of that status or renumbered. A low road number means a road suitable for long-distance driving.
In Switzerland as of April 2011, there were of a planned of motorway completed. The country is mountainous with a high proportion of tunnels: there are 220 totaling , which is over 12% of the total motorway length.
In Belgium, motorways but also some dual carriageways have numbers preceded by an A. However, those that also have an E-number are generally referenced with that one. City rings and bypasses have numbers preceded by an R; these also can be either motorways or dual carriageways.
In Croatia, motorway numbering is independent of state route numbering. Motorways are prefixed by an A (for ''autocesta''), as in many other European countries. Some motorways are the result of an upgrade of an older two-lane road, and carry concurrencies with state routes. In some other cases, such as with the A2 (Croatia), A2, following the upgrade, the state route was rerouted onto the
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 drivew ...
.
Regional variation
While the design characteristics listed above are generally applicable around the globe, every jurisdiction provides its own specifications and design criteria for controlled-access highways.
Africa
Algeria
![Situation Réseau Autoroutier Algérier - Mai 2015 - V](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Situation_R%C3%A9seau_Autoroutier_Alg%C3%A9rier_-_Mai_2015_-_V.03.png)
In Algeria, the motorway network has about in 2x3 lanes. The network is expanding increasingly, along with other kinds of infrastructure, though this is only true for the northern region of the country, where most of its population lives. And this infrastructure is pretty well developed for North African standards.
For the moment, the entire Algerian motorway network is toll-free. The toll stations are being finalized and the launch of the motorway toll is scheduled for early 2021. The maximum speed authorized on the entire network is .
File:Autoroute A1 à Oran (Algérie).jpg, Algeria East–West Highway, East–West Highway near Oran
File:Autoroute est ouest ghomri.JPG, Autoroute Est-Ouest, near Ghomri, Relizane Province
File:La vue la plus spectaculaire depuis l'autoroute Est Ouest Bouira Algérie.jpg, Autoroute A2 (Algérie), Autoroute A2 near Bouira
File:Médéa - Autoroute Nord-Sud المدية - الطريق السريع شمال جنوب 09.jpg, Autoroute Nord-Sud (Algérie), Autoroute Nord-Sud near Médéa
Egypt
Egypt has many multiple-lane, high-speed motorways. Two routes in the Trans-African Highway network originate in Cairo. Egypt also has multiple highway links with Asia through the Arab Mashreq International Road Network. Egypt has a developing motorway network, connecting Cairo with Alexandria and other cities. Though most of the transport in the country is still done on the national highways, motorways are becoming increasingly an option in road transport within the country. The existing motorways in the country are:
*Cairo–Alexandria Desert Road: Running between Cairo and Alexandria, with an extension of , it is the main motorway in Egypt.
*International Coastal Road: It runs from Alexandria to Port Said, along the northern Nile Delta. It has a length of . Also, amongst other cities, it connects Damietta and Baltim.
*Geish Road: It runs between Helwan and Asyut, along the Nile, also connecting Beni Suef and Minya, Egypt, Minya. Its length is .
*Ring Road: It serves as an inner ring-road for Cairo. It has a length of .
*Regional Ring Road: It serves as an outer ring road for Cairo, also connecting its suburbs like Helwan and 10th of Ramadan City. Its length is .
Ethiopia
![Adama (3)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Adama_%283%29.jpg)
Much of Ethiopia's highway network is developing. Road projects now represent around a quarter of the annual infrastructure budget of the Ethiopian government. Additionally, through the Road Sector Development Program (RSDP), the government has earmarked $4 billion to construct, repair and upgrade roads over the next decade. Ethiopia has over of roads. In 2014, the Addis Ababa–Adama Expressway opened, becoming the first expressway in Ethiopia.
Kenya
![Roads in Kenya](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Roads_in_Kenya.svg)
The Kenya National Highways Authority is responsible for the maintenance, management, development, and rehabilitation of highways. According to the Kenya Roads Board, Kenya has of roads. Two routes of the Trans-African Highway network cross Kenya: the Cairo-Cape Town Highway and the Lagos–Mombasa Highway. Roads in Kenya are divided into classes:
# Class S: "A Highway that connects two or more cities and carries safely a large volume of traffic at the highest speed of operation."
# Class A: "A Highway that forms a strategic route and corridor connecting international boundaries at identified immigration entry and exit points and international terminals such as international air or sea ports."
# Class B: "A Highway that forms an important national route linking national trading or economic hubs, County Headquarters and other nationally important centers to each other and to the National Capital or to Class A roads."
Morocco
![Voies](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Voies_.jpg)
The motorways and expressways of Morocco are a network of multiple-lane, high-speed, controlled-access highways.
As of November 2016 the total length of Morocco's motorways was and expressways. Morocco plans to expand the road network. In the country of motorways and of expressways are currently under construction in different parts of the country.
In the year 2035 the total length of the motorways will be of motorways and of expressways. According to the minister of Morocco, this plan also includes a program specific to rural roads for the construction of of roads for an investment of 30 billion dirhams.
File:A1 Rabat.jpg, The first expressway in Morocco - Casablanca–Rabat expressway, A1 Casablanca–Rabat
File:A3 Rabat-Casa tollstation.jpg, Toll station at Bouznika
File:A7 motorway in Morocco 2.JPG, Casablanca–Agadir expressway, A3 Casablanca–Agadir
Mozambique
Mozambique's highways are classified as a national or primary road (''estrada nacional'' or ''estrada primária''), or as regional – secondary or tertiary – roads (''estradas secundárias'' and ''estradas terciárias''). National roads are given the prefix "N" or "EN" followed by a one- or two-digit number. The numbers generally increase from the south of the country to the north. Regional roads are given the prefix "R", followed by a three-digit number. Mozambique has over of paved roads.
Nigeria
Nigeria has the largest highway network in West Africa. Although much of the highways are poorly maintained, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency have drastically improved them. Due to Nigeria's strategic location, four routes of the Trans-African Highway network are situated in the country: the Trans-Sahara Highway to Algeria, the Trans-Sahelian Highway to Dakar, Senegal, the Trans–West African Coastal Highway and the Lagos–Mombasa Highway.
South Africa
![Map of the National Roads of South Africa with labels](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Map_of_the_National_Roads_of_South_Africa_with_labels.svg)
In South Africa, the term ''freeway'' differs from most other parts of the world. A freeway is a road where certain restrictions apply.
The following are forbidden from using a freeway:
* a vehicle drawn by an animal;
* a pedal cycle (such as a bicycle);
* a motorcycle having an engine with a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cm
3 or that is propelled by electrical power;
* a motor tricycle or motor quadricycle;
* pedestrians
Drivers may not use hand signals on a freeway (except in emergencies) and the minimum speed on a freeway is . Drivers in the rightmost lane of multi-carriageway freeways must move to the left if a faster vehicle approaches from behind to overtake.
Despite popular opinion that "freeway" means a road with at least two carriageways, single carriageway freeways exist, as is evidenced by the statement that "[South Africa's] roads include of dual carriageway freeway, of single carriageway freeway and of single carriage main road with unlimited access."
Americas
Brazil
![BR-010 jct](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/BR-010_jct.svg)
Although some of Brazilian highway is built to freeway-standard, there is no distinct designation for controlled-access highways in the Brazilian Highway System, Brazilian federal and state highway systems. The term ''autoestrada'' (Portuguese for "freeway" or "motorway") is not commonly used in Brazil; the terms ''estrada'' ("road") and especially ''rodovia'' ("highway") are instead preferred. Nevertheless, the most technically advanced freeways in Brazil are defined ''Class 0 freeways'' by the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (DNIT). These freeways are built to safely allow for vehicular speeds of up to ). In mountainous terrain, the maximum allowable gradient is 5%, and the minimum allowable radius of curvature is (with 12% super-elevation).
Highway system of São Paulo, São Paulo state, with of freeway, has the most in the country. It is also the state with more highways conceded to the private sector.
Brazil's first freeway, the Rodovia Anhanguera in São Paulo state, was completed in 1953 as an upgrade of the earlier undivided highway. That same year, construction of the second highway, Rodovia Anchieta, between São Paulo and the Atlantic coast, began. Freeway construction, most of them upgrades of older undivided highways, quickened in the following decades. The current Class 0 freeways include: Rodovia dos Bandeirantes, Rodovia dos Imigrantes, Rodovia Castelo Branco, Rodovia Ayrton Senna, Rodovia Ayrton Senna/Carvalho Pinto, Rodovia Osvaldo Aranha (also known as "Free-way") and São Paulo's Metropolitan Beltway Rodoanel Mário Covas – all modern, post-1970s highways meeting modern European standards. Other stretches of highway such as the under-construction south BR-101 and Rodovia Régis Bittencourt are of older design standards.
File:Billings_2008051702.jpg, Rodovia dos Imigrantes, São Paulo
File:Ponte Rio-Niteroi01 2005-03-15.jpg, The Rio–Niterói Bridge, officially part of the federal BR-101 highway; a landmark of Rio de Janeiro
File:BR116 Viaduto em Fortaleza.jpg, BR-116 in Ceará
British overseas territories
![Leeward_Highway_1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Leeward_Highway_1.jpg)
A number of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
's BOTs, overseas territories have controlled-access highways, including the Turks and Caicos Islands and Cayman Islands.
Canada
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
has no current national system for controlled-access highways. All controlled-access freeways, including sections that form part of the Trans-Canada Highway, are under provincial jurisdiction, and have no numeric continuation across provincial boundaries. The largest networks in the country are in Ontario (400-series highways) and Quebec (Autoroutes of Quebec, Autoroutes). Speed limits are not federally set, since provincial governments set speed limits for their respective regions. These roads are influenced by, and have influenced, US standards, but have design innovations and differences. The total length of dual-carriageways with controlled access in Canada is , of which are in British Columbia, in Alberta, in Saskatchewan, in Ontario, in Quebec, and in the Maritimes.
El Salvador
The RN-21 (Boulevard Diego Holguin), RN-21 (East–West, Boulevard Monseñor Romero), is the very first freeway to be built in El Salvador and in Central America. The freeway passes the northern area of the city of Santa Tecla, El Salvador, Santa Tecla, La Libertad. It has a small portion serving Antiguo Cuscatlán, La Libertad, and merges with the RN-5 (Autopista Comalapa), RN-5 (East–West, Boulevard de Los Proceres/Autopista del Aeropuerto) in San Salvador. The total length of the RN-21 is and is currently working as a traffic reliever in the metropolitan area. Although the RN-21 was to be named in honor of the first mayor of San Salvador, Diego de Holguín, due to political reasons it was renamed Boulevard Monseñor Romero, in honor of Óscar Romero. The first phase of the highway was completed in 2009, and the second phase was completed and opened in November 2012.
Mexico
![Map of Mexican Autopista Network](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Map_of_Mexican_Autopista_Network.png)
In Mexico, federal highways ( es, Carretera Federal) are a series of highways that connect with roads from foreign countries or that link two or more states of the Federation.
File:Mezcala_Bridge_-_Mexico_edit2.jpg, Mezcala Bridge on Mexican Federal Highway 95, Highway 95 in Mexico
File:Ejido Tehuantepec Santa Rosa.jpg, Tehuantepec, Baja California
File:Jct Mex-1 San Ignacio BCS.jpg, Mexican Federal Highway 1 Junction in San Ignacio, Baja California Sur
File:Mexico-2 eastbound near Altar, Sonora.jpg, Eastbound Fed. 2 just outside Altar, Sonora, after a summer rain
Puerto Rico
In Puerto Rico, controlled access highways are named ''autopista''. Autopistas are tolled roads in the island, but toll cabins do exist on other types of roads as well. One of the best known autopistas in Puerto Rico is the Luis A. Ferre Expressway, which goes from San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan, the capital to the north, to Ponce, Puerto Rico, Ponce, the island's second largest city, to the south.
United States
![I-376](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/I-376.svg)
In the United States, a ''freeway'' is defined by the US government's ''Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices'' as a divided highway with full control of access. This means two things: first, adjoining property owners do not have a legal right of access, meaning all existing driveways must be removed and access to adjacent private lands must be blocked with fences or walls; instead,
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 drivew ...
s provide access to properties adjacent to a freeway in many places.
Second, traffic on a freeway is "free-flowing". All cross-traffic (and left-turning traffic) is relegated to overpasses or underpasses, so that there are no traffic conflicts on the main line of the highway, which must be regulated by traffic lights, stop signs, or other traffic control devices. Achieving such free flow requires the construction of many overpasses, underpasses, and ramp systems. The advantage of grade-separated interchanges is that freeway drivers can almost always maintain their speed at junctions since they do not need to yield to vehicles crossing perpendicular to mainline traffic.
In contrast, an Limited-access road, expressway is defined as a divided highway with partial control of access. Expressways may have driveways and at-grade intersections, though these are usually less numerous than on ordinary arterial roads.
This distinction was apparently first developed in 1949 by the Special Committee on Nomenclature of what is now the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Prior to that distinction the first freeways were complete in 1940, the
Pennsylvania Turnpike
The Pennsylvania Turnpike (Penna Turnpike or PA Turnpike) is a toll highway operated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. A controlled-access highway, it runs for across the state. The turnpike's we ...
and the Arroyo Seco Parkway (Pasadena Freeway).
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 USDOT under a 1966 federal statute. The same distinction has also been codified into the statutory law of eight states:
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, and Wisconsin.
However, each state codified the federal distinction slightly differently.
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
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; and in Missouri, both terms apply only to divided highways at least long that are not part of the Interstate Highway System. In North Dakota and Mississippi, expressways may have "full or partial" access control and "generally" have 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.
The term "expressway" is also used in some areas of the country for what the federal government calls "freeways".
Where the terms are distinguished, freeways can be characterized as expressways upgraded to full access control, while not all expressways are freeways.
Examples in the United States of roads that are technically expressways (under the federal definition), but contain the word "freeway" in their names: K-96 (Kansas highway), State Fair Freeway in Kansas, Chino Valley Freeway in California, Rockaway Freeway 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
* '' ...
, and Shenango Valley Freeway (a portion of U.S. Route 62 in Pennsylvania, US 62) in Pennsylvania.
Unlike in some jurisdictions, not all freeways in the US are part of a single national freeway network (although together with non-freeways, they form the National Highway System (United States), National Highway System). For example, many state highways such as California State Route 99 have significant freeway sections. Many sections of the older United States Numbered Highway System have been upgraded to freeways but have kept their existing US Highway numbers.
File:45intoI-10 2.jpg, I-45 and I-10/US 90 next to Downtown Houston
File:I-5 north approaching I-10 east split- long view.jpg, Interstate 5
Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Califor ...
(I-5) in Los Angeles
File:I70 at San Rafael swell-Green River.jpg, I-70 passes through Spotted Wolf Canyon at the eastern edge of the San Rafael Swell.
File:I-90 floating bridges looking east.JPG, I-90 crossing Lake Washington
File:I-25 southbound at Big I.jpg, At the Big I in Albuquerque, New Mexico
File:Interstate_15,_Las_Vegas,_South_of_Flight_Path_on_Departure_(14203692275).jpg, Aerial view of I-15 looking south from Sunset Road in the Las Vegas Valley
File:McClure Tunnel west.jpg, Western end of I-10 at the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica
File:I91_Connecticut.jpg, Interstate 91 with HOV lane
A high-occupancy vehicle lane (also known as an HOV lane, carpool lane, diamond lane, 2+ lane, and transit lane or T2 or T3 lanes) is a restricted traffic lane reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and one or more passengers, i ...
s north of Hartford, Connecticut
Asia
Afghanistan
![Afghanistan-Iran border in Zaranj, Afghanistan, 2011](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Afghanistan-Iran_border_in_Zaranj%2C_Afghanistan%2C_2011.jpg)
Many highways of Afghanistan were built in the 1960s with American and Soviet assistance. The Soviets built a road and tunnel through the Salang pass in 1964, connecting northern and eastern Afghanistan. A highway connecting the principal cities of Herat, Kandahar, Ghazni, and Kabul with links to highways in neighboring Pakistan formed the primary highway. The historical Highway 1 (Afghanistan), Highway 1 currently connects the major cities. Afghanistan has over of roads, with 12,000 being paved. The highway infrastructure is currently going through reconstruction and can often be risky due to the instability of the country.
Armenia
Armenia has about of paved roads, of which 96% are asphalted. Armenia is connected to Europe through the International E-road network and Asia through the Asian Highway Network. Armenia is a member of the International Road Transport Union and the TIR Convention.
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan has about of paved roads; the first paved roads were built during the Russian Empire. The road network, from rural roads to motorways, is today undergoing a rapid modernization with rehabilitations and extensions. For every of national territory, there are of roads. Azerbaijan is connected to Europe through the
International E-road network and Asia through the Asian Highway Network.
Bangladesh
![Dhaka Chittagong Highway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Dhaka_Chittagong_Highway.jpg)
Bangladesh has over 21,000 km of highways. Many highways are part of the Asian Highway Network. The road network consists of national highways (starting with N), regional highway (starting with R), and zilla (starting with Z). Many highways are not fully controlled access.
China
![China National Expressway Network light](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/China_National_Expressway_Network_light.svg)
The expressway network of China, with the national-level expressway system officially known as the National Trunk Highway System (; abbreviated as NTHS), is an integrated system of national and provincial-level expressways in China.
[Li, Si-ming and Shum, Yi-man]
Impacts of the National Trunk Highway System on accessibility in China
. ''Journal of Transport Geography''.
. 13 January 2005.
By the end of 2019, the total length of China's expressway network reached , the world's largest expressway system by length, having surpassed the overall length of the American Interstate Highway System in 2011.
Planned length is by 2020.
Expressways in China are a fairly recent addition to a complicated network of roads. According to Chinese government sources, China did not have any expressways before 1988. One of the earliest expressways nationwide was the Jingshi Expressway between Beijing and Shijiazhuang in Hebei province. This expressway now forms part of the Jingzhu Expressway, currently one of the longest expressways nationwide at over .
File:Jiangyin Yangtze River bridge-2.jpeg, The expressway crosses the Yangtze River over the Jiangyin Suspension Bridge
File:PRC Expressway.jpg, G106, Jingkai Expressway section in southern Beijing
File:G6 expressway from offramp to North Fifth Ring Road, Beijing.jpg, G1 Expressway (China), G6 expressway at the interchange with the Fifth Ring Road in northern Beijing
File:DFTianjinFwySignWP.jpg, Signs using the new numbering system as seen on China National Expressway 1 in Tianjin
Georgia
![E Road in GEO](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/E_Road_in_GEO.svg)
The road network in Georgia (country), Georgia consists of of main or international highways in good condition, of which by 2021 roughly are controlled-access highway, while further expansion is ongoing. The of domestic main roads are of mixed quality, although the conditions are improving. Some of local roads are generally in poor condition. Georgia is connected to Europe via the International E-road network and Asia through the Asian Highway Network.
Hong Kong
![HK Route1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/HK_Route1.svg)
In Hong Kong major motorways are numbered from 1 to 10 in addition to their names. Speed limits on expressways typically range from .
File:North Lantau Highway 2016.jpg, North Lantau Highway on Lantau Island
File:Tolo Highway at night (Street Light rays improved).jpg, Tolo Highway in Ma Liu Shui
File:Fanling Highway Sheung Shui Section.jpg, Fanling Highway in Sheung Shui
File:Tsing Ma Bridge 2008.jpg, North West Tsing Yi Interchange near Tsing Ma Bridge (Lantau Link)
India
![NE1-IN](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/NE1-IN.svg)
Expressways (known as "Gatimarg/गतिमार्ग", or "Speedways" in Hindi and other Indian languages) are the highest class of roads in India's road network and currently make up around of the National Highway (India), National Highway System, with additional under various phases of implementation. They have a minimum of six or eight-lane controlled-access highways where entrance and exit is controlled by the use of slip roads. The expressways are operated and maintained by the Government of India, Union, through the National Highways Authority of India.
File:Delhi-Gurgaon_Airport_Expressway,_2007.jpg, Section of the Delhi Gurgaon Expressway
File:Express highway.jpg, The Mumbai-Pune Expressway
File:Delhi–Meerut Expressway.jpg, The Delhi-Meerut Expressway
File:Noida expressway.jpg, A section of Noida–Greater Noida Expressway
Indonesia
![Bali Mandara Toll road](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Bali_Mandara_Toll_road.JPG)
In Indonesia all expressways ( id, Jalan Bebas Hambatan, "obstacle-free road") are tolled, so they are better known as toll road (''Jalan Tol''). Indonesia has expressway length so far, almost 70% of its expressways are in Java island.
In 2009, the Indonesian government had planned to expand more expressway network in Java island by connecting Port of Merak, Merak to Banyuwangi which is the total length of Trans-Java toll road including large cities expressway in Java such as Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung and its complements is more than .
The Indonesian government also had planned to build the Trans-Sumatra toll road which connects Banda Aceh to Port of Bakauheni, Bakauheni spanning . In 2012, the government allocated 150 trillion rupiah for the construction of the toll roads. There are three stages of construction of Trans-Sumatra toll road which is expected to be connected together in 2025.
The other islands in Indonesia such as Borneo, Kalimantan, Sulawesi also has begun constructed its expressways including connecting Manado to Makassar in Sulawesi and also Pontianak, Indonesia, Pontianak to Balikpapan in Kalimantan. However, there are still no plans to build an expressway in Western New Guinea due to its slow population growth. Indonesia is expected to have at least of expressway in 2030.
Iran
![Freeway in Iran](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Freeway_in_Iran.svg)
The history of freeways in Iran goes back to before the Iranian Revolution. The first freeway in Iran was built at that time, between Tehran and Karaj with additional construction and the studies of many other freeways started as well. Today Iran has about of freeway.
Iraq
![Erbil mosul highway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Erbil_mosul_highway.png)
Iraq's network of highways connects it from the inside to neighboring countries such as Syria, Turkey, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iran. When Saddam Hussein visited the United States, he was impressed at the highway style and ordered the highways to be built in American form. Freeway 1 (Iraq), Freeway 1 is the longest freeway in the country, connecting from Umm Qasr Port in Basra to Ar Rutba in Al Anbar Governorate, Anbar, spreading to a new freeway connecting it to Syria and Jordan. Iraq has about of highways, with of them paved.
Israel
![Littleuni_13](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Littleuni_13.jpg)
Controlled-access highways in Israel are designated by a blue color. Blue highways are completely grade-separated but may include bus stops and other elements that may slow down traffic on the right lane. Highway 6 (Israel), Highway 6 is Israel's longest freeway. It will extend to a 260 kilometer in length, from Shlomi (town), Shlomi in the north to the Negev Junction in the south.
Japan
![Shuto Urban Expwy Sign B](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Shuto_Urban_Expwy_Sign_B.svg)
, generally known as , make up the majority of controlled-access highways in Japan. The network boasts an uninterrupted link between Aomori Prefecture at the northern part of Honshū and Kagoshima Prefecture at the southern part of Kyūshū, linking Shikoku as well. Additional expressways serve travellers in Hokkaidō and on Okinawa Island, although those are not connected to the Honshū-Kyūshū-Shikoku grid. Expressways have a combined length of .
File:Satta yukei.jpg, Many Japanese expressways go through the steep mountains.
File:Isewangan20180428H.jpg, A group of green-colored directional signs on a Japanese expressway
File:Tokai JCT 20150815B.JPG, Toll gates are placed at most of the entrances and exits of Japanese expressways.
File:TOYOTA Interchange on TOMEI EXPWY and SHIN-TOMEI EXPWY.jpg, Aerial view of Toyota Junction, connecting Tomei Expressway and Ise-Wangan Expressway
File:Shuto expressway takaracho.jpg, The Shutoko Inner Circular Route (Shuto Expressway), C1 route forms a loop of the center of Tokyo
Lebanon
Lebanon has an extensive network of highway that in varying condition throughout the country. Many highways are part of the Arab Mashreq International Road Network. Some highways have been upgraded to 4-lane motorway, including the Beirut-Tripoli highway.
Malaysia
![Mes-e1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Mes-e1.svg)
Controlled-access highways in Malaysia are known as ( ms, lebuhraya, region=MY – this is also the name for Limited-access road, highways). However, some expressways, particularly bridges and tunnels such as the Penang Bridge, do not formally use the ''expressway'' name; a small number confusingly use the term ''highway'', which is normally the designation for limited-access roads. Route numbers of designated expressways begin with the letter E. All expressways (excluding a section of the South Klang Valley Expressway, which is a two-lane expressway) are built with
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 and at least two lanes in each direction; urban expressways generally have three or more lanes in each direction.
While all expressways are grade separation, grade separated at major roadways, many urban expressways in the Greater Kuala Lumpur region often have at-grade intersections, including with residential roads and shopfronts, thus do not meet the strict definition of a controlled-access highway. These expressways were previously normal Arterial road, arterial or Collector road, collector roads that had such intersections, and were not removed when the roads were converted to expressways due to the resulting accessibility and sometimes political issues. Despite this, no expressway allows traffic to cross the
median strip
The median strip, central reservation, roadway median, or traffic median is the reserved area that separates opposing lanes of traffic on divided roadways such as divided highways, dual carriageways, freeways, and motorways. The term also a ...
(apart from U-turns on a limited number of expressways) and expressways do not have at-grade traffic signals or roundabouts. Expressways have a maximum speed limit of , while speed limits of or lower are typical in built-up areas.
As of 2017, expressways have only been designated in Peninsular Malaysia. There are 34 fully or partially open expressways with an approximate total length of .
The vast majority of expressways are Toll road, tolled; the North–South Expressway (Malaysia), North–South Expressway network, East Coast Expressway and West Coast Expressway predominantly use the ticket system of toll collection, while all other expressways use the Barrier toll system, barrier system. The construction and operation of expressways in Malaysia are usually privatised via concession agreements with the Government of Malaysia, federal government, using the build–operate–transfer system.
Pakistan
![Pakistan M-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Pakistan_M-1.svg)
The motorways of Pakistan and expressways of Pakistan are a network of multiple-lane, high-speed, limited-access or controlled-access highways in Pakistan, which are owned, maintained and operated federally by Pakistan's National Highway Authority. The total length of Pakistan's motorways and expressways is as of November 2016. Around of motorways are currently under construction in different parts of the country.
Most of these motorway projects will be complete between 2018 and 2020.
Pakistan's motorways are part of Pakistan's National Trade Corridor project that aims to link Pakistan's three Arabian Sea ports of Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar to the rest of the country. These would further link with Central Asia and China, as proposed in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Pakistan's first motorway, the M-2 motorway (Pakistan), M-2, was inaugurated in November 1997; it is a , six-lane motorway that links Pakistan's federal capital, Islamabad, with Punjab (Pakistan), Punjab's provincial capital, Lahore. It is ranked among the world's top five speed highways/motorways. Other completed motorways and expressways are M1 Peshawar–Islamabad Motorway, M4 PindiBhattian–Faisalabad-Multan Motorway, E75 Islamabad-Murree–Kashmir Expressway, M3 Lahore–Multan Motorway, M8 Ratadero–Gawader Motorway, E8 Islamabad Expressway, M5 Multan-Sukkur Motorway, M9 Karachi-Hyderabad, Sindh and few others.
File:M2-Motorway.jpg, The motorway M-2 motorway (Pakistan), M-2 passes through the Salt Range mountains
File:M1 motorway KPK.jpg, M-1 motorway (Pakistan), M-1 motorway westbound towards Peshawar
File:M1 motorway Peshawar Toll Plaza.jpg, M-1 motorway (Pakistan), M-1 Peshawar Toll Plaza
File:Under Construction at Mansehra.jpg, M-15 motorway (Pakistan), M-15 at Mansehra
File:Makran Coastal Highway, Balochistan.jpg, The Makran Coastal Highway (N10) passing through Balochistan
Philippines
![Expressways of the Philippines map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Expressways_of_the_Philippines_map.png)
Full control-access highways in the Philippines are referred to as ''expressways'', which are usually toll roads. The expressway network is concentrated in Luzon, with the North Luzon Expressway and South Luzon Expressway being the most important ones. The expressway network in Luzon do not form an integrated network, but there are ongoing construction projects to interconnect those highways as well as to decongest the existing roads in the areas they serve. Expressways are being introduced to Visayas and Mindanao through the construction of the Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway in Metro Cebu and Davao City Expressway in Davao City.
File:View From NLEX Overpass, Bulacan, Philippines - panoramio.jpg, A portion of North Luzon Expressway in Guiguinto, Guiguinto, Bulacan
File:Pic geo photos - ph=mm=muntinlupa=slex - view from bilibid overpass -philippines--2015-0428--ls-.jpg, South Luzon Expressway in the Philippines
Saudi Arabia
![Highway60SaudiArabia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Highway60SaudiArabia.JPG)
Highways in Saudi Arabia vary from eight-laned roads to small two-lane roads in rural areas. The city highways and other major highways are well maintained, especially the roads in the capital Riyadh. The roads have been constructed to resist the consistently high temperatures and do not reflect the strong sunshine. The other city highways such as the one linking coast to coast are not as great as the inner-city highways but the government is now working on rebuilding those roads. Saudi Arabia is part of the Arab-Mashreq Highway Network and connects to the rest of Asia through the Asian Highway Network.
Singapore
![AYE-SG](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/AYE-SG.svg)
The expressways of Singapore are special roads that allow motorists to travel quickly from one urban area to another. All of them are
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, grade-separated interchange (road), access. They usually have three to four lanes in each direction, although there are two-lane carriageways at many expressway—expressway intersections and five-lane carriageways in some places. There are ten expressways, including the new Marina Coastal Expressway. Studies about the feasibility of additional expressways are ongoing.
Construction on the first expressway, the Pan Island Expressway, started in 1966. , there are of expressways in Singapore.
The Singaporean expressway networks are connected with Malaysian Expressway System, Malaysian expressway networks via Ayer Rajah Expressway (connects with the Second Link Expressway via the Malaysia–Singapore Second Link) and Bukit Timah Expressway (connects with the Johor Bahru Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway, Eastern Dispersal Link via the Johor–Singapore Causeway).
South Korea
![Autobahn Southkorea](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Autobahn_Southkorea.svg)
Since Gyeongin Expressway linking
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
and Incheon opened in 1968, national expressway system in South Korea has been expanded into 36 routes, with total length of as of 2017. Most of expressways are four-lane roads, while (26%) have six to ten lanes. Speed limit is typically for routes with four or more lanes, while some sections having fewer curves have limit of .
Expressways in South Korea were originally numbered in order of construction. Since 24 August 2001, they have been numbered in a scheme somewhat similar to that of the Interstate Highway System in the United States. Furthermore, the symbols of the South Korean highways are similar to the US red, white and blue.
* Arterial routes are designated by two-digit numbers, with north–south routes having odd numbers, and east–west routes having even numbers. Primary routes (i.e. major thoroughfares) have 5 or 0 as their last digit, while secondary routes end in other digits.
* Branch routes have three-digit route numbers, where the first two digits match the route number of an arterial route. This differs from the American system, whose last two digits match the primary route.
* Belt lines have three-digit route numbers where the first digit matches the respective city's postal code. This also differs from American numbering.
* Route numbers in the range 70–99 are not used in South Korea; they are reserved for designations in the event of Korean reunification.
* The Gyeongbu Expressway kept its Route 1 designation, as it is South Korea's first and most important expressway.
File:NoojiJCT IncheonInternationalAirportExpressWay.jpg, Approaching Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
from Incheon Airport
File:SeohaeGrandBridge.jpg, Seohae Bridge
File:Airport Town Square Junction Incheon Korea 20091031.jpg, Airport Town Square junction
File:Incheon bridge toll gate 20091031.jpg, Incheon Bridge Toll Gate
Sri Lanka
![Sri Lanka E01 expressway](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Sri_Lanka_E01_expressway.svg)
Sri Lanka currently has over of designated expressways serving the southern part of the country. The first stage of the E01 Expressway (Southern Expressway) which opened in 2011 was Sri Lanka's first expressway spanning a distance of . The second stage of the Southern Expressway opened in 2014 and extends to Matara. The E03 Expressway (Colombo–Katunayake Expressway) opened in 2013 and connects Sri Lanka's largest city Colombo with the Bandaranaike International Airport covering a distance of . All E-Grade highways in Sri Lanka are access controlled, toll roads with speeds limits in the range of . The network is to be expanded to by 2024.
Operational (fully or partially):
* Kottawa-Hambantota, Sri Lanka, Hambantota
* Kottawa-Kerawalapitiya
* Colombo-Katunayake
* Enderamulla-Kurunegala-Kandy
* Kahatuduwa-Pelmadulla
Planned:
* Colombo Metropolitan expressway (Colombo Fort to Peliyagoda, connecting Colombo with the E03 expressway (Sri Lanka) Colombo-Katunayaka expressway.)
Syria
![Autostrada Map-SYR](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Autostrada_Map-SYR.png)
Syria has a well-developed system of motorways in the western half of the country. As the Eastern part is underpopulated, it only has 2 lanes. Highways have been important in terms of transport for the ongoing Syrian Civil War, civil war. The main motorways are:
*M1 Motorway (Syria), M1 - Runs from Homs to Latakia. It also connects Tartus, Baniyas and Jableh. Its length is 174 km.
*M2 Motorway (Syria), M2 - Runs from Damascus to Jdeidat Yabous, on the border with Lebanon. It also connects Al-Sabboura. Its length is 38 km
*M4 Motorway (Syria), M4 - Runs from Latakia to Saraqib. It also connects Arihah and Jisr al-Shughur. Its length is 120 km. It continues to the Iraqi border all the way to Mosul.
*M5 Motorway (Syria), M5 - Often describes as the most important highway, it runs through much of the major cities in Syria and runs to the Jordanian border.
Taiwan (Republic of China)
![Autobahnnetz Taiwan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Autobahnnetz_Taiwan.svg)
Taiwan has an extensive road network that includes two types of controlled-access highway: freeways and expressways. Only cars and trucks are allowed onto freeways, the first of which — Freeway 1 (Taiwan), Freeway 1 — was completed in 1974. Expressways allow car and truck traffic as well as motorcycles with engines of 250cc or more.
Expressways in Taiwan may be controlled-access highways similar to national freeways or limited-access roads. Most have urban roads and intra-city expressways (as opposed to Highway system) status, although some are built and maintained by cities.
File:Light trail along Wugu–Yangmei Elevated Road.jpg, National Freeway 1, Freeway 1 in New Taipei City
File:National Highway No. 1 (Taiwan).JPG, Taichung section
File:TaiwanFwy3Jct.jpg, Freeway entrance
Thailand
![EXAT system overview map](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/EXAT_system_overview_map.svg)
Controlled-access highways in Thailand are separated into urban expressways called ''expressways'', which are operated by the Expressway Authority of Thailand and Bangkok Expressway and Metro, BEM (except Don Mueang Tollway, which is operated by Don Muang Tollway Public Company Limited) and have a span of , while intercity expressways are called Thai motorway network,
''motorways'', which have a span of . The network is to be extended to according to the master plan.
File:Makkasan Interchange at night by Mark Fischer.jpg, A motorway interchange in Makkasan, Bangkok
File:Srinagarindra Interchange head to Rama IX new sign.jpg, Srinagarindra Interchange head to Rama IX Road
Uzbekistan
![M39 Highway in Uzbekistan near Jomboy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/M39_Highway_in_Uzbekistan_near_Jomboy.jpg)
Uzbekistan has of roads, about of which were paved. Much of the highways are in need of repair, although the condition has been improving. In 2017, the governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan agreed to open a section of the M39 Highway by the Kazakh border.
Vietnam
![Vietnam Expressway map - Numbered](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Vietnam_Expressway_map_-_Numbered.png)
At present, the expressway system of Vietnam is long. Under the government's plan, the national expressway system will have a total length of . The expressway system in Vietnam is separate from the national highway system.
Most of the expressways are located in the North, especially around Hanoi. Of the 21 expressways in Vietnam, 8 emanate from Hanoi and 14 are in the north, with a length of . The first expressway in Vietnam is the Lien Khuong - Prenn Pass expressway, which is inaugurated and opened for traffic on July 29, 2008.
Currently, most of the expressways in Vietnam are four-lane highways, with some routes like Ha Noi - Haiphong, and Phap Van - Cau Gie being six-lane. The only elevated expressway in Vietnam is Mai Dich - Thanh Tri Bridge (also known as the third beltway in Hanoi). The cost of building Vietnam's highways is one of the most expensive in the world, with an average cost of $12 million per kilometer. Compared with China, where there are similarities, their highway costs only $5 million per kilometer, where in the US and European countries, costs $3–4 million per kilometer.
According to road traffic laws of Vietnam, an expressway is a road for motor vehicles, with a divider separating opposing traffic directions, no at-grade crossings with intersecting roads, fully equipped facilities to ensure continuous traffic flow, safety and short journey times, and access allowed only at interchanges.
Cầu Long Thành, Đường cao tốc TP.HCM - Long Thành - Dầu Giây.JPG, Long Thanh bridge
Cao-toc-sai-gon-trung-luong-tuonglamphotos.jpg, Cho Dem - Ben Luc Viaduct of Ho Chi Minh City - Trung Luong Expressway
Lien Khuong - Da Lat highway 01.jpg, Lien Khuong - Prenn Pass Expressway
Europe
Regarding road function (see also ERSO Traffic Safety Synthesis on Roads), motorways serve exclusively the function of flow (Wegman & Aarts, 2005). They allow for efficient throughput of, usually long distance, motorized traffic, with unhindered flow of traffic, no traffic signals, at-grade intersections or property access and elimination of conflicts with other directions of traffic, thus, dramatically improving both safety and capacity.
Although roads are under the responsibility of each individual state, including within the European Union, there are some legal conventions (international treaties) and some European directives which give a legal framework for roads of a European importance with the goal to introduce some kind of homogenization between various members. They basically consider, at European level, three types of roads: motorways, express roads, and ordinary roads.
Some European treaties also define aspects such as the range of speed limit, or for some geometric aspects of roads, in particularly for the International E-road network.
According to Eurostat:
A motorway is a road specially designed and built for motor vehicle traffic, which does not directly provide access to the properties bordering on it.
Other characteristics of motorways include:
* two separated carriageways for the opposing directions of traffic, except at special points or, temporarily, due to carriageway repairs etc.;
* carriageways that are not crossed at the level of the carriageway by any other road, railway or tramway track, or footpath; and
* the use of special signposting to indicate the road as a motorway and to exclude specific categories of road vehicles and/ or road users.
In determining the extent of a motorway its entry and exit lanes are included irrespective of the location of the motorway signposts. Urban motorways are also included in this term.
Most of the European countries use the above motorway definition but different national definitions of motorways can be found in some countries.
Anyway, it is usually
considered that:
* Motorways serve exclusively motorised traffic.
* Motorways have separate carriageways for the two directions of traffic.
* Motorways are not crossed at the same level by other roads, footpaths, railways
* Traffic entrance and exit is performed at interchanges only.
* Motorways have no access for traffic between interchanges and do not provide access to adjacent land.
* Motorways are especially sign-posted
Motorways status is signaled at the entry and exit of the motorway by a symbol conforming to international agreements, but specific to each country.
File:Sweden road sign E1.svg, Sweden
File:Spain traffic signal s1.svg, Spain
File:Zeichen 330 - Autobahn, StVO 1992.svg, Germany
File:UK motorway symbol.svg, United Kingdom, Ireland
File:CH-Hinweissignal-Autobahn.svg, Switzerland
File:Autoroute F.svg, France (sometimes used in Portugal)
File:Italian traffic signs - inizio autostrada.svg, Italy and Albania
File:Autostradă.svg, Romania
File:309 Diaľnica.svg, Slovakia
File:Portugal road sign H24.svg, Portugal
The peripheral northern and eastern regions of the EU have a lower density motorway network. Within the European Union, there are 26 regions (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, NUTS level 2) with no motorway network in 2013. Those regions are islands or remote regions, for instance four overseas French regions and Corsica. The Baltic member state of Latvia, as well as four regions from Poland, and two regions from each of Bulgaria and Romania also reported no motorway network; several of these regions bordered onto non-member neighbouring countries to the east of the EU.
European motorways provide reduced accident risks: 50% to 90% lower compared to standard roads, when new motorways only reduce injuries by 7%.
Some of the things which are considered as providing safety in the European motorways are central medians, grade separated interchanges, and access restrictions.
Nonetheless, some specific conditions provide a height risk of a more severe accidents, such as:
* improper use of emergency lane,
* cross-median head-on accidents,
* wrong direction accidents.
Albania
![Autostrada A1 Albania](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Autostrada_A1_Albania.svg)
Highways in Albania form part of the recent Albanian road system. Following the collapse of communism in 1991, the first highways in Albania started being constructed, The first was SH2, connecting Tirane with Durrës via Vora. Since the 2000s, main roadways have drastically improved, though lacking standards in design and road safety. This involved the construction of new roadways and the putting of contemporary signs. However, some state roads continue to deteriorate from lack of maintenance while others remain unfinished.
File:Autostrada Durrës-Morina-04.jpg, A1 Nation's Highway in Northern Albania connecting Albania with Kosovo.
File:Krraba Tunnel.JPG, Krraba Tunnel on the A3 Tirana, Elbasan, Albania
File:A2 Levan Vlora.JPG, A2 Fier - Vlore known as the Independence Highway
Austria
![A1-AT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/A1-AT.svg)
The Austrian autobahns (German: Autobahnen) are controlled-access highways in Austria. They are officially called ''Bundesstraßen'' A (Bundesautobahnen) under the authority of the federal government according to the Austrian Federal Road Act (Bundesstraßengesetz), not to be confused with the former Bundesstraßen highways maintained by the Austrian states since 2002.
Austria currently has 18 Autobahnen, since 1982 built and maintained by the self-financed ASFiNAG stock company in Vienna, which is wholly owned by the Austrian republic and earns revenue from road-user charges and tolls. Each route bears a number as well as an official name with local reference, which however is not displayed on road signs. Unusually for European countries, interchanges (between motorways called Knoten, "knots") are numbered by distance in kilometres starting from where the route begins; this arrangement is also used in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Spain, and most provinces of Canada (and in most American states, albeit in miles). The current Austrian Autobahn network has a total length of .
File:Brenner-Autobahn_mit_der_Europabrücke_bei_Patsch.jpg, Brenner Autobahn near Innsbruck
File:A22_Floridsdorfer_Brücke.jpg, A22 Donauuferautobahn, near the exit Floridsdorfer Brücke
Belgium
![BE-A1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/BE-A1.svg)
In 1937, the first motorway between Brussels and Ostend was completed, following the example of neighboring countries such as
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 betwe ...
. It mainly served local industries and tourism as a connection between the capital city and a coastal region. However, the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and the reparation of the complete road network after the war caused a serious delay in the creation of other motorways. In 1949, the first plans were made to build a complete motorway network of that would be integrated with the neighboring networks. Although the plans were ready, the construction of the motorway network was much slower than in neighboring countries because the project was deemed not to be urgent.
Because of economic growth in the 1960s, more citizens could afford cars, and the call for good-quality roads was higher than ever before. In each year between 1965 and 1973, over of motorway were built. At the end of the 1970s, the construction of motorways slowed down again due to costs, combined with an economic crisis, more expensive fuel and changing public opinion. In the following years, the only investments done were to complete already started motorway constructions. But most important cities were already connected. In 1981, the responsibilities for construction and maintenance of the motorways shifted from the federal to the regional governments. This sometimes caused tensions between the governments. For example, the part of the ring road around Brussels that crosses Wallonian territory has never been finished, since only Flanders suffers from the unfinished ring.
Belgium today has the longest total motorway length per area unit of any country in the world. Most motorway systems in Belgium have at least three lanes in each direction. Nearly all motorways have overhead lighting including those in rural areas. The dense population of Belgium and the still unfinished state of some motorways, such as the ring roads around Brussels and Antwerp cause major traffic congestion on motorways. On an average Monday morning in 2012, there was a total of of traffic jams and the longest traffic jam of the year was , purely on the motorways.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
![Znak-III-132-BIH](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Znak-III-132-BIH.svg)
Bosnia and Herzegovina has more than of highway, which connects Kakanj-Sarajevo. There is a plan to build highway on European route E73, Corridor Vc, which will go from Sava (river), river Sava, across Doboj, Sarajevo and Mostar to Adriatic Sea. Next sections are Kakanj-Drivuša 16 km, Zenica Sjever-Drivuša 11 km, Svilaj-Odžak 11 km, Vlakovo-Tarčin 20 km, Počitelj-Bijača 21 km. The speed limit is or in tunnels.
File:A1 - Bijaca (2).JPG, A1 (Bosnia and Herzegovina), A1 motorway, exit Bijača, towards the Zvirovići interchange
File:Mahovljanska.jpg, Mahovljanska interchange
File:Autobahn-Sarajevo.jpg, A1 motorway
Bulgaria
![Bulgaria Highways](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Bulgaria_Highways.png)
Legislation in Bulgaria defines two types of highways: motorways (, ) and expressways (, ). The main differences are that motorways have Shoulder (road), emergency lanes and the maximum allowed speed limit is , while expressways do not have emergency lanes and the speed limit is . , of motorways are in service, with another under various stages of construction. More than are planned. Also, several expressways are planned.
Croatia
![Motorway-A1-Hex-Green](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Motorway-A1-Hex-Green.svg)
The primary high-speed motorways in Croatia are called ''autoceste'' (singular: ''autocesta''; ), and they are defined as roads with at least two lanes in each direction (including hard shoulder) and a speed limit of not less than . The typical speed limit is . As of 2017, there are of motorways in Croatia. There is also a category known as ''brza cesta'', meaning "expressway". These roads have a speed limit up to and are not legally required to be grade-separated, but nearly all are.
Cyprus
![A1 Motorway Cyprus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/A1_Motorway_Cyprus.svg)
Motorways (Greek: ''αυτοκινητόδρομος,'' Turkish: ''Otoyol'') connect all cities in Cyprus, although in the territory under ''de facto'' Turkish control these do not meet international standards for the definition of motorways. In the areas administered by the Republic of Cyprus, motorway numbers are prefaced with the letter A, and run from A1 to A6, to distinguish them from all other roads, designated B roads. Of the A roads, all are designated motorways, except for the A4, linking Larnaca with Larnaca Airport.
Motorways are also distinguishable by the use of green-backed road signs, with standard international graphics, and text in yellow in Greek and white in English, distinguishable from B road signage, which has signs with blue backgrounds.
Motorway junctions are theoretically designated with junction numbers, but signage is not consistent is indicating the exit numbers.
Czech Republic
![CZ traffic sign IS16a - D1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/CZ_traffic_sign_IS16a_-_D1.svg)
The Czech Republic has currently (2020) of motorways (''dálnice'') whose speed limit is (or within a town). The total length should be around 2030. The number of a motorway (in red) copies the number of the national route (in blue) which has been replaced by the motorway. There are also roads for motorcars (''silnice pro motorová vozidla''). Those common roads are not subject to a fee (in form of vignette) for vehicles with total weight up to and their speed limit is , partially up to .
Denmark
![E20-DK](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/E20-DK.svg)
Denmark has a well covered motorway system today, which has been difficult to build due to the county's geography with many islands. The longest bridges are the Great Belt Fixed Link, Great Belt and the Øresund bridge, Øresund bridges to Skåne (Scania) in southern Sweden. Both are motorways with dual electrical train tracks added.
Finland
![Finland road sign F29-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Finland_road_sign_F29-1.svg)
Finland has of motorway, which is only a small proportion of the whole highway network. More than half of the length of the motorway network consists of six radial motorways originating in Helsinki, to Kirkkonummi (Länsiväylä), Turku (Finnish national road 1, Vt1/European route E18, E18), Tampere (Finnish national road 3, Vt3/European route E12, E12), Tuusula, Heinola (Finnish national road 4, Vt4/European route E75, E75) and Vaalimaa (Finnish national road 7, Vt7/European route E18, E18). These roads have a total length of . The other motorways are rather short sections close to the biggest cities, often designed to be bypasses. The motorway section on national roads Finnish national road 4, 4 and Finnish national road 29, 29, between Simo, Finland, Simo and Tornio, is said to be the northernmost motorway in the world.
Finnish motorways do not have a separate road numbering scheme. Instead, they carry national highway numbers. In addition to signposted motorways, there are also some Two-lane expressway, limited-access two-lane expressways, and other grade-separated four-lane expressways (perhaps the most significant example being Ring III near Helsinki).
File:Valtatie 1.jpg, Finnish national road 1, Valtatie 1 near Halikko
File:Lassila KehaI+TietoEnator1m.jpg, Ring I (''Kehä I'') in Pohjois-Haaga, a northern district of Helsinki.
France
![Autoroute française 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Autoroute_fran%C3%A7aise_1.svg)
The ''autoroute'' system in France consists largely of toll roads, except around large cities and in parts of the north. It is a network of worth of motorways. Autoroute destinations are shown in blue, while destinations reached through a combination of autoroutes are shown with an added autoroute logo. Toll autoroutes are signalled with the word ''péage'' (toll).
File:Séparation A430 & A43.JPG, Cross between A430 motorway and A43 motorway
File:Autoroute A2 - Barrière de péage de Hordain-5705.jpg, alt=Barrière de péage, Toll barrier in Hordain (south of Hordain), on A2 autoroute, autoroute A2
Germany
![Bundesautobahn 1 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Bundesautobahn_1_number.svg)
Germany's network of controlled-access expressways includes all federal Autobahnen and some parts of Bundesstraßen and usually no Landesstraße, ''Landesstraßen'' (state highways), Kreisstraße, ''Kreisstraßen'' (district highways) nor Gemeindestraße, ''Gemeindestraßen'' (municipal highways). The federal ''Autobahn'' network has a total length of in 2020, making it one of the densest networks in the world.
The German autobahns have no general speed limit (though about 47% of the total length is subject to local and/or conditional limits), but the advisory speed limit (''Richtgeschwindigkeit'') is . The lower class expressways usually have speed limits of or lower.
File:Garching_Bundesautobahn_9.jpg, German Motorway (Autobahn
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'. ...
) - one of the world's earliest motorways
File:A5Langen.jpg, An autobahn with 4 lanes in each direction of travel for . The section between Zeppelinheim and Darmstadt is the oldest Autobahn.
File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F088783-0003, Bei Bad Honnef, Ferienverkehr auf der A 3.jpg, The Bundesautobahn 3, A 3 in 1991
File:Verkehrszeichen auf der Bundesautobahn 20090320 001.JPG, Dynamic traffic signs on an Autobahn.
Greece
![Autokinetodromos A1 number](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Autokinetodromos_A1_number.svg)
Motorways in Greece, Greece's motorway network has been extensively modernised throughout the 1980s, 1990s and especially the 2000s, while part of it is still under construction. Most of it was completed by mid 2017 numbering around of motorways, making it the biggest highway network in Southeastern Europe and the Balkans and one of the most advanced in Europe.
There are a total of 10 main routes throughout the Greek mainland and Crete, from which some feature numerous branches and auxiliary routes. Most important motorways are the Motorway 1 (Greece), A1 Motorway connecting Greece's two largest cities (Athens and Thessaloniki), the Egnatia Odos (modern road), A2 (Egnatia Odos) motorway, also known as the "horizontal road axis" of Greece, connecting almost all of Northern Greece from west to east and the Olympia Odos, A8 Olympia Motorway connecting Athens and Patras. Another important motorway is the Motorway 6 (Greece), Attiki Odos motorway, the main beltway of the Athens Metropolitan area.
File:Motorway 1 (A1) as viewed from Katerini South interchange.png, Motorway 1 (Greece), A1 south of Katerini
File:A2 Motorway, Greece - Section Siatista-Kozani - Kalamia Exit - 04.jpg, Egnatia Odos (modern road), A2 exit near Kozani
File:Athens-Kiffisia-aerial.jpg, Aerial view of an Motorway 6 (Greece), A6 interchange north of Athens
Hungary
![Hungary road sign E-016](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Hungary_road_sign_E-016.svg)
In Hungary, a controlled-access highway is called an (plural ).
File:M0 Eastern Sector.JPG, Eastern section of M0 motorway (Hungary), M0
File:AutobahnM1HU-2.JPG, M1 motorway (Hungary), M1 between, Vértes Mountains, Vértes and Gerecse Mountains
File:Koroshegy viaduct 02.jpg, M7 motorway (Hungary), M7 motorway in Köröshegyi völgyhíd
File:M7 Near Budapest.JPG, M1 - M7 common phase, near Budapest
Ireland
![M1-IE](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/M1-IE.svg)
In Republic of Ireland, Ireland the ''Local Government (Roads and Motorways) Act 1974'' made motorways possible, although the first section, the N7 road (Ireland), M7 Naas Bypass, did not open until 1983. The first section of the M50 motorway (Ireland), M50 opened in 1990, a part of which was Ireland's first Toll road, toll motorway, the West-Link. However it would be the 1990s before substantial sections of motorway were opened in Ireland, with the first completed motorway—the M1 motorway (Republic of Ireland), M1 motorway—being finished in 2005.
Under the Transport 21 infrastructural plan, motorways or high quality dual carriageways were built between Dublin and the major cities of Cork (city), Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford by the end of 2010. Other shorter sections of motorway either have been or will be built on some other main routes. In 2007 legislation (the ''Roads Bill 2007'') was created to allow High Quality Dual Carriageway, existing roads be designated motorways by order because previously legislation allowed only for newly built roads to be designated motorways.
As a result, most HQDCs nationwide (other than some sections near Dublin on the N4 road (Ireland), N4 and N7 road (Ireland), N7, which did not fully meet motorway standards) were reclassified as motorways. The first stage in this process occurred when all the HQDC schemes open or under construction on the N7 and N8, and between Kinnegad and Athlone on the N6 and Kilcullen and south of Carlow on the N9, were reclassified motorway on 24 September 2008. Further sections of dual carriageway were reclassified in 2009.
As of December 2011, the Republic of Ireland has around of motorways.
File:NewM50Dublin.JPG, Gantry signage on the M50 motorway (Ireland), M50
File:M8 at junction 15 tolled.JPG, A section of the M8 motorway (Ireland), M8
Italy
![Autostrada A1 Italia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Autostrada_A1_Italia.svg)
The world's first motorway was the ''Autostrada dei laghi'', inaugurated on 21 September 1924 in
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
. It linked Milan to
Varese
Varese ( , , or ; lmo, label= Varesino, Varés ; la, Baretium; archaic german: Väris) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 has reached 80,559.
It is the c ...
; it was then extended to Como, near the border with Switzerland, inaugurated on 28 June 1925. Piero Puricelli, the engineer who designed this new type of road, decided to cover the expenses by introducing a Toll road, toll.
Other motorways built before the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
were Naples-Pompeii, Florence-Pisa, Padua-Venice,
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
-Turin, Milan-Bergamo-Brescia and Rome-Ostia (quarter of Rome), Ostia.
Type B highways (or strada extraurbana principale), commonly but unofficially known as superstrada, are divided highways with at least two lanes for each direction, a paved shoulder on the right, no cross-traffic and no at-grade intersections. Access restrictions on such highways are exactly the same as on autostrade, as is the signage at the beginning and the end of the highway (the only differences being the background colours and the maximum speed limit: blue instead of green and instead of ).
File:Autostrada A14.jpg, The Autostrada A14 (Italy), A14 near Forlì.
File:PMV A14-RA1.JPG, Dynamic traffic signs on an Autostrada.
Lithuania
![A1-LT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/A1-LT.svg)
There are two categories of controlled-access highways in Lithuania: expressways (Lithuanian language, Lithuanian: ''greitkeliai'') with maximum speed 120 km/h and motorways (Lithuanian language, Lithuanian: ''automagistralės'') with maximum speed 130 km/h. The first section Vilnius–Kaunas of A1 highway (Lithuania), A1 highway was completed in 1970. Kaunas–Klaipėda section of A1 highway (Lithuania), A1 was completed in 1987. Vilnius-Panevėžys (A2 highway (Lithuania), A2 highway) was completed in stages during the 1980s and finished in the 1990s. Complete length of the motorway network is 310 km. Expressway network length - 80 km. Motorway section between Kaunas and the Polish border is planned to be completed in the 2020s.
File:Kelias_A2,_ties_Tauj%C4%97nais.JPG, A2 highway (Lithuania), A2 motorway near Taujėnai
File:U_turn_A2_Lithuania.JPG, Motorway junction with U-turns. A2 highway (Lithuania), A2 motorway near Raguva.
Netherlands
![NL-A1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/NL-A1.svg)
Roads in the Netherlands include at least of motorways and expressways,
and with a motorway density of 64 kilometres per 1,000 km
2 (103 mi/1,000 mi
2), the country has one of the densest List of motorways in the Netherlands, motorway networks in the world.
About are fully constructed to motorway standards,
These are called ''Autosnelweg'' or simply ''snelweg'', and Route number, numbered and signposted with an ''A'' and up to three digits, like A12 motorway (Netherlands), A12.
They are consistently built with Dual carriageway, at least two carriageways, Guard rail#Automotive safety, guard rails and
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 ...
with grade separation. Since September 2012, the nationwide maximum speed has been raised to , but on many stretches speed is still limited to . Dutch motorways may only be used by motor vehicles both ''capable'' and ''legally allowed'' to go at least .
In March 2020, the general speed limit on Dutch motorways was lowered to 100 kilometres per hour during the day (6 am until 7 pm). At night, the maximum speed is different per stretch, but 130 kilometres per hour remained the upper limit.
Dutch roads are used with a very high intensity in relation to the network length
and traffic congestion is common, due to List of sovereign states and dependent territories by population density, the country's high population density. Therefore, since 1979 large portions of the motorway network have been equipped with variable message signs and dynamic electronic displays, both of which are aspects of intelligent transportation systems. These signs can show a lower speed limit, as low as , to optimize the flow of heavy traffic, and a variety of other communications. Additionally there are peak, rushhour or plus lanes, which allow motorists to use the hard shoulder as an extra traffic lane in case of congestion. These extra lanes are observed by CCTV cameras from a traffic control center.
Less common, but increasingly, separate carriageway, roadways are created for local/regional traffic and long-distance traffic. This way the number of weaving motions across lanes is reduced, and the Traffic flow, traffic capacity per lane of the road is optimised. A special feature of Dutch motorways is the use of Porous asphalt, Porous Asphalt Concrete, which allows water to drain efficiently, and even in heavy rain no water will splash up, in contrast to concrete or other road surfaces. The Netherlands is the only country that uses PAC this extensively, and the goal is to cover 100% of the motorways with PAC, in spite of the high costs of construction and maintenance. All in all the Netherlands has one of the more advanced motorway networks in the world.
File:The Basketweave.svg, Local and express lanes connected using a Local-express lanes, basketweave.
File:DRIP op A13 voor Kleinpolderplein.jpg, Dynamic Route Information Panel (DRIP) on A13 motorway (Netherlands), Dutch A13 freeway during evening rush hour
North Macedonia
![Motorway-A1-Hex-Green](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Motorway-A1-Hex-Green.svg)
The total motorway network length in North Macedonia is as of Spring 2019. Another are under construction, 57 km (Ohrid to Kicevo) and 13 km (Skopje to Kosovo border). The stretch from Gostivar to Kicevo is planned to start with construction in 2021. The three motorway routes are A1 motorway (North Macedonia), A1, which is part of the European corridor European route E75, E-75, A2 motorway (North Macedonia), A2 (part of European route E65, E-65) and the recently built A4 motorway (North Macedonia), A4 corridor that connects Skopje to Stip. A1 connects the northern border (Serbia) with the southern one (Greece), while A2 traverses the country from the East (Bulgaria border) to West (Albania border), but only the stretch from Kumanovo to Gostivar is a divided motorway, while the rest of the length is either an undivided two-way road or in the process of turning into a motorway.
Norway
Poland
![A1-PL](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/A1-PL.svg)
The highways in Poland are divided into motorways and expressways, both types featuring 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 ...
with all other roads, Shoulder (road), emergency lanes, feeder lanes, wildlife protection measures and dedicated roadside
rest area
A rest area is a public facility located next to a large thoroughfare such as a motorway, expressway, or highway, at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting onto secondary roads. Other names include motorway servi ...
s. Motorways can be only dual carriageways, while expressways can be dual or, rarely, single carriageways. The start of an expressway in Poland is marked with a sign of white car on blue background, while number sign for an expressway is of red background and white letters, with the letter S preceding a number. Speed limits in Poland are 140 km/h on motorways and 120 km/h on dual-carriageway expressways.
The Regulation of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Poland, Council of Ministers defines the network of motorways and expressways in Poland totalling about (including about of motorways).
As of July 2022, there are of motorways and expressways in operation (58% of the intended network), while contracts for construction of further of motorways and expressways (15% of the intended network) are ongoing.
File:A4_Zalas_04.jpg, A4 near Zalas, opened in 1983
File:Wezelsosnicafromthesky.JPG, Interchange of Autostrada A1 (Poland), A1 and Autostrada A4 (Poland), A4 near Gliwice
File:New bridge (Rędziński).jpg, Rędziński Bridge
File:Wrocław, Autostradowa obwodnica Wrocławia A8 (AOW) - fotopolska.eu (239268).jpg, Wrocław Stadion junction
File:S5_Bydgoszcz_z_węzła_Lotnisko_2.jpg, Expressway S5 (Poland), Expressway S5 near Bydgoszcz
Portugal
![A1-PT](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/A1-PT.svg)
Portugal was the third country in Europe—after Italy and Germany—to build a motorway ( pt, autoestrada, plural: ), opening, in 1944, the Lisbon-Estádio Nacional section of the present A5 motorway (Portugal), A5 (''Autoestrada da Costa do Estoril'').
Additional motorway sections were built in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. However, the large-scale building of motorways started only in the late 1980s. Currently, Portugal has a very well-developed network of motorways, with about a extension, that connects all the highly populated coastal regions of the country and the main cities of the less populous interior. This means that 87% of the Portuguese population lives at less than 15 minutes' driving time from a motorway access.
Unlike the neighbouring Spanish network, most of Portuguese motorways are tolled, although there are also some non-tolled highways, mostly in urban areas, like those of Greater Lisbon and Greater Oporto. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Government of Portugal created seven shadow toll concessions, the SCUT toll (, no costs for the user). In those concessions it were 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.
Portuguese motorways form an independent network (, National Motorway Network), that overlaps with the Fundamental and Complementary subnetworks of the National Highway Network (). Each motorway section overlapping with the Fundamental subnetwork is part of an IP (, Principal route) and each motorway section overlapping with the Complementary subnetwork is part of an IC (, Complementary route). Thus, a motorway can overlap with sections of different IP or IC routes and - on the other hand - an IP or IC route can overlap with sections of different motorways. An example is A22 motorway (Portugal), A22 motorway, which overlaps with sections of IP1 and of IC4 routes; another example is IP1 route, which overlaps with sections of the A22, A2 motorway (Portugal), A2, A12, A1 motorway (Portugal), A1 and A3 motorway (Portugal), A3 motorways.
The National Motorway Network has a proper numbering system in which each motorway has a number prefixed by the letter "A". In most cases, a motorway signage indicates only its A number. The number of the IP or IC of which a motorway section is a part is not signed except in some short motorways which lack a proper A number.
File:A5 Lisbon.jpg, A5 (Lisbon-Cascais) motorway, inaugurated in 1944 as the first motorway in Portugal
File:Auto estrada A1.jpg, A1 (Lisbon-Oporto) motorway, the main road link between the two largest cities of the country
File:Viaduto do Corgo (Corgo Viaduct), Vila Real, Portugal (2015-01) (17679614363)2.jpg, Vila Real Bridge, Corgo viaduct, part of the A4 (Oporto-Bragança) motorway
File:A27 Ponte Lima Viana Castelo 20050801.jpg, Tunnel at the A27 (Ponte de Lima-Viana do Castelo) motorway
Romania
![A1-RO](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/A1-RO.svg)
As of December 2022, Romania has of highways in use, with more under construction.
The first motorway in Romania was completed in 1972, linking Bucharest and Pitești.
The Government of Romania, Romanian Government has adopted a General Master Plan for Transport that was approved by the European Union in July 2015, containing the strategy for expanding the road (including motorway) network until 2040, using EU funding.
File:A1 Arad-Timisoara - 02.JPG, A1 motorway between Arad and Timișoara
File:A1 (Rumänien) 03.JPG, A1 motorway near Sibiu
File:A2 motorway Romania.JPG, A2 motorway near Cernavodă interchange
File:A3 (Romania).jpg, A3 motorway between Gilău and Turda
File:A7 Bacău Bypass, Holt Interchange.jpg, A7 motorway near Bacău Bypass
File:A10 motorway between Turda and Aiud, Romania.jpg, A10 motorway and the hills of Transilvania
Serbia
![Motorway-A1-Hex-Green](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Motorway-A1-Hex-Green.svg)
Motorways ( sr, Аутопут , translit=Autoput) and expressways ( sr, Брзи пут , translit=Brzi put) are the backbone of the road system in Serbia. There are around of motorways in total. Plan is by the end of 2018.
Motorways in Serbia have three lanes (including emergency lane) in each direction, signs are white-on-green, as in the rest of former Yugoslavia and the normal speed limit is .
Expressways, unlike motorways, don't have emergency lanes, signs are white-on-blue and the normal speed limit is .
As the Serbian word for motorway is ''autoput'', the "A1", "A2" or "A3" road designations are used since November 2013. All state roads categorized as class I, that are motorways currently of in the future, are marked with one-digit numbers and known as class Ia. All other roads, which belong to class I, are marked with two-digit numbers and known as class Ib. Expressways belong to class Ib, too. International E-road network, E-numeration is also widely used on motorways.
The core of the motorways is what was once called during Yugoslav period, the Brotherhood and Unity Highway, which was opened in 1950 and goes from the border with Croatia, through Belgrade, Central Serbia, Niš, and to border with North Macedonia. It was one of the first modern highways in Central-Eastern Europe. It is the most direct link between Central and Western Europe with Greece and Turkey, and subsequently the Middle-East.
File:E-75 in Serbia.JPG, A1 motorway (Serbia), A1/European route E75, E-75 motorway in Serbia
File:Petlja Dobanovci - Niš - Budapest.jpg, Dobanovci interchange, directions to Niš and Budapest.
File:Motorway A2 (Serbia), Tunnel Savinac.jpg, Motorway A2 motorway (Serbia), A2, Tunnel Savinac
Slovakia
![D1-SVK-2020](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/D1-SVK-2020.svg)
Slovakia has currently (2022) of motorways ( sk, diaľnica, ''D'') and Limited-access road, expressways (, ''R'') whose speed limit is .They are split into expressways and motorways like Poland with expressways starting with a R which means Ryhlostna cesta
but from April 2020 all the expressways in Slovakia were known as motorways due to that the expressways are very similar to the motorways in Slovakia. You also pay a e-vignette to use the motorways in Slovakia. Before you used to pay a sticker vignette but from 2016 you pay electronically through the website : https://eznamka.sk/selfcare/purchase
File:Slovakia15D1Highway92.JPG, Motorway D1 motorway (Slovakia), D1 near Spišské Podhradie with Spiš Castle in the background
File:Povazsky Chlmec.jpg, Tunnel Považský Chlmec on D3 motorway (Slovakia), D3 before opening
File:VysokeTatry11Slovakia17.JPG, View of the High Tatras from the D1 near Poprad
File:R1Expressway11Slovakia29.jpg, Expressway R1 expressway (Slovakia), R1 near Nitra
File:Dopravná značka IP23a.svg, Old sign for motorways
File:Dopravná značka IP22a.svg, Old sign for expressways
File:D4 luzny bridge.jpg, The D4 motorway (Slovakia), D4 crossing the danube river
File:Povazka Bystrica viaduct.jpg, The Považská Bystrica, povaska Bystrica viaduct
Slovenia
![Avtocesta A1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Avtocesta_A1.svg)
The highways in Slovenia are the central state roads in Slovenia and are divided into motorways ( sl, avtocesta, ''AC'') and Limited-access road, expressways (, ''HC''). Motorways are dual carriageways with a speed limit of . They have white-on-green road signs as in Italy, Croatia and other countries nearby. Expressways are secondary roads, also dual carriageways, but without an emergency lane. They have a speed limit of and have white-on-blue road signs.
File:Avtocesta A1 v Vodolah.jpg, A1 motorway (Slovenia), A1 motorway at Vodole
Klanec Medvedjek A2.jpg, The Medvedjek Slope on the eastern part of the A2 motorway (Slovenia), A2 (Lower Carniola)
File:Toll station Log Slovenia 2.jpg, The toll station at Log pri Brezovici
Avtocesta a1 IMG 2347,.jpg, A1 near Postojna
Spain
![ESP AP-1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/ESP_AP-1.svg)
The Spanish network of ''autopistas'' and ''autovias'' has a length of , making it the largest in Europe and the third in the world. ''Autopistas'' are specifically reserved for automobile travel, so all vehicles not able to sustain at least are banned from them. General speed limits are mandated by the Spanish Traffic Law as . Specific limits may be imposed based on road, meteorological or traffic conditions. Spanish legislation requires an alternate route to be provided for slower vehicles. Many, but not all, autopistas are toll roads, which also mandates an alternate toll-free route under the Spanish laws.
M40 outside Madrid.jpg, The M-40 (Spain), M-40 autopista (motorway) is one of the beltways serving Madrid. It is one of the few non-toll autopistas of significant length
A5 Navalcarnero.jpg, The Autovía del Suroeste, A-5 autovía (expressway) near Navalcarnero, Province of Madrid, Madrid. Note the mostly nonexistent acceleration lane in the road joining from the bottom right
Algaba.jpg, Modern autovías (expressway) such as the A-66 near Guillena, Province of Seville, Seville, offer most, if not all, features that are required by an autopista (motorway)
Sweden
![E20 (Sverige)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/E20_%28Sverige%29.svg)
Sweden has the largest motorway network in Scandinavia (). It is, however, unevenly allocated. Most motorways are located in the south of the country, where the Demographics of Sweden, population density is the highest.
The first motorway in Sweden opened in 1953, between Lund and Malmö. Four-lane expressways had been built before, an early example is European route E20, E20 between Gothenburg and Alingsås, built in the early 1940s. Most of the current network was built in the 1970s and 1990s.
European route E6, E6 starts i Trelleborg in southern Sweden, it then continues along the Swedish western coast, up to the Svinesund bridge which is where Sweden borders to Norway. Its length is close to on Swedish territory alone, and it connects four of Scandinavia's six largest cities, Copenhagen, Malmö, Gothenburg and Oslo together, as well as around 20 other more or less notable towns and cities.
A Swedish (partly motorway) route (rather than road) that also has a significant portion of the Swedish motorway network, is
European route E4
European route E4 passes from north to south through Sweden from the border with Finland, with a total length of . The Finnish part lies entirely within Tornio in northern Finland, and is only long. The Swedish part traverses most of Sweden ex ...
, which runs from the border city of Tornio in northern Finland to Helsingborg in southern Sweden. E4 is the main route that connects the capital Stockholm with Scania. All of E4 south of the city
Gävle
Gävle () is a city in Sweden, the seat of Gävle Municipality and the capital of Gävleborg County. It had 77,586 inhabitants in 2020, which makes it the 13th most populated city in Sweden. It is the oldest city in the historical Norrland (Swede ...
is of motorway standard, with only the part passing Ljungby () left, currently in expressway standard. Upgrade to motorway standard will start in 2017. The part of E4 that runs through western Stockholm is called Essingeleden and is the busiest road in Sweden.
Other highways that have a significant portion of motorway standard are E20, European route E18, E18 and European route E22, E22. Motorways in Sweden are however not restricted to European routes; so called Riksvägar and other regional road types can also be of motorway standard. An example of this is Riksväg 40. Riksväg 40 is the main link between the largest cities in the country, Stockholm and Gothenburg. Notably, not even the majority of the European route, European route- network in Sweden is motorway or even have expressway standard. All of this is because road numbering and road standard is separate in Sweden, as in the rest of Scandinavia.
File:E22 Nättraby motorväg västerut mot Karlskrona.jpg, E22 Motorway westbound towards Karlskrona
File:Sodra lanken vasterut.jpg, The Södra länken Rv-75 ring road in Stockholm
Switzerland
![A1Swiss](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/A1Swiss.svg)
Switzerland has a two-class highway system: motorways with separated roads for oncoming traffic and a standard maximal speed limit of , and expressways often with oncoming traffic and a standard maximal speed limit of .
File:Gotthard autobahn.jpg, Autobahn A2 motorway (Switzerland), A2 near the northern portal of the Gotthard tunnel
File:A3 - Käferberg - Zürich-Wollishofen-Brunau 2010-09-10 15-51-52.JPG, A3 motorway (Switzerland), A3 in Zürich
File:CH HighwayPictures AG 62.jpg, Autobahn A1 motorway (Switzerland), A1/A3 near Birrfeld
Turkey
![O1-TR sign](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/O1-TR_sign.svg)
Motorways ( tr, Otoyol) of Turkey are a network in constant development. All motorways (O coded), except beltways, are toll roads (using only RFID methods for the roads that operated by KGM, cash and credit card payment is also possible for the roads that operated by private companies), mostly six lanes wide, illuminated and with speed limit. As of August 2022, total length of the motorways is long in total.
File:Turkish state road D 750.JPG, Turkish state road D 750 at Konya junction. Toros Mountains in the background
File:Seyrantepe bridge.png, Otoyol 2 near Ali Sami Yen Stadium, İstanbul
United Kingdom
=Great Britain
=
![M25 Motorway Clockwise](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/M25_Motorway_Clockwise._Approaching_Junction_14_For_A3113_For_Heathrow_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1280493.jpg)
A map ''Showing Future Pattern of Principal National Routes'' was issued by the Ministry of War Transport in 1946 shortly before the law that allowed roads to be restricted to specified classes of vehicle (the Special Roads Act 1949) was passed. The first section of motorway, the M6 motorway, M6 Preston Bypass, opened in 1958
followed by the first major section of motorway (the M1 motorway, M1 between Crick, Northamptonshire, Crick and Berrygrove in Watford), which opened in 1959.
From then until the 1980s, motorways opened at frequent intervals; by 1972 the first of motorway had been built.
Whilst roads outside of urban areas continued to be built throughout the 1970s, opposition to urban routes became more pronounced. Most notably, plans by the Greater London Council for a series of London Ringways, ringways were cancelled following extensive Road protest in the United Kingdom, road protests and a rise in costs. In 1986 the single-ring, M25 motorway was completed as a compromise. In 1996 the total length of motorways reached .
Motorways in Great Britain, as in numerous European countries, will nearly always have the following characteristics:
# No traffic lights (except occasionally on slip roads before reaching the main carriageway).
# Exit is nearly always via a numbered junction and slip road, with rare minor exceptions.
# Pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles below a specified engine size are banned.
# There is a central reservation separating traffic flowing in opposing directions (the only exception to this is the A38(M) in Birmingham where the central reservation is replaced by another lane in which the direction of traffic changes depending on the time of day. There was another small spur motorway near Manchester with no solid central reservation, but this was declassified as a motorway in the 2000s.)
# No roundabouts on the main carriageway. (This is only the case on motorways beginning with M (so called M class)). In the case of upgraded A roads with numbers ending with M (i.e. Ax(M)), roundabouts may exist on the main carriageway where they intersect 'M' class motorways. In all M class motorways bar two, there are no roundabouts except at the point at which the motorway ends or the motorway designation ends. The only exceptions to this in Great Britain are:
#* the M271 motorway, M271 in Southampton which has a roundabout on the main carriageway where it meets the M27, but then continues as the M271 after the junction.
#* on the M60 motorway, M60. This came about as a result of renumbering sections of the M62 motorway, M62 and M66 motorway, M66 motorways near Manchester as the M60, to form a ring around the city. What was formerly the junction between the M62 and M66 now involves the clockwise M60 negotiating a roundabout, while traffic for the eastbound M62 and northbound M66 carries straight on from the M60. This junction, known as Simister, Simister Island, has also been criticised for the presence of a roundabout and the numbered route turning off.
#* the A1(M) between the M62 in North Yorkshire and Washington in Tyne and Wear is built to full 'M' class standards without any roundabouts.
#* the A74(M) between Gretna and Abingdon in Scotland is similarly built to full 'M' class standards with no roundabouts.
On motorways in Great Britain there were 99 fatalities in 2017 for 69 billion vehicle miles travelled, a reduction from 183 fatalities in 2007. which is equivalent to 1.43 fatalities per billion vehicle miles traveled.
=Northern Ireland
=
Legal authority existed in the Special Roads Act (Northern Ireland) 1963 similar to that in the 1949 Act. The first motorway to open was the M1 motorway (Northern Ireland), M1 motorway, though it did so under temporary powers until the Special Roads Act had been passed. Work on the motorways continued until the 1970s when the 1973 oil crisis, oil crisis and The Troubles both intervened causing the abandonment of many schemes.
Oceania
Australia
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
's major cities,
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
and Perth, feature a network of freeways within their urban areas, while Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart and the regional centres of Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, Geelong, Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast and Wollongong feature a selection of limited-access routes. Outside these areas traffic volumes do not generally demand freeway-standard access, although heavily trafficked regional corridors such as Sydney–Newcastle (Pacific Motorway (Sydney–Newcastle), M1 Pacific Motorway (F3)), Sydney–Wollongong (Princes Motorway, M1 Princes Motorway (F6)), Brisbane–Gold Coast (M1 Pacific Motorway (Brisbane–Brunswick Heads), Pacific Motorway), Melbourne–Geelong (M1 Princes Freeway), Perth-Mandurah (SR2 Kwinana Freeway) and that form part of major long-distance routes feature high-standard freeway links.
The M31 Hume Highway, Hume Highway/Freeway/Motorway connecting
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
and the M23 Federal Highway (Australia), Federal Highway spur route that connects Canberra with
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
are the only major interstate highways that are completed to a continuous dual carriageway standard. In addition, construction on the A1/M1 Pacific Highway (Australia), Pacific Highway/Motorway connecting
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
is underway to upgrade the M1 to freeway standard by 2020. There are also plans to upgrade the A25 Barton Highway, another spur off the M31 that connects Canberra with
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, to a dual carriageway highway.
Although these inter-city highways are dual carriageway they are not all controlled access highways. Some of these inter-city highways have driveways to adjacent property and at-grade junctions with smaller roads.
Unlike many other countries, some of Australia's freeways are being opened to cyclists. As the respective state governments upgrade their state's freeways, bicycle lanes are being added and/or shoulder (road), shoulders widened alongside the freeways. The state of Queensland is an exception however, as cyclists are banned from all freeways, including the breakdown lane.
Motorways referred to as an expressway in Australia include the Hunter Expressway, which connects the Hunter Region with Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, and the Southern Expressway (Adelaide), Southern Expressway, which connects Adelaide's outer southern suburbs to the southwestern suburbs.
File:Tuggeranong Parkway.jpg, Aerial view of Tuggeranong Parkway in the Australian Capital Territory
File:Deer Park Bypass eastbound at Western Ring Road.jpg, Deer Park Bypass on the Western Freeway (Victoria), Western Freeway
File:Tasman-hwy-warrane.jpg, The Tasman Highway in Tasmania
File:Mooney Mooney Bridge, Sydney-Newcastle Fwy..JPG, The Pacific Motorway (Sydney–Newcastle), M1 Pacific Motorway is the major road transport link between the cities of Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
and Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
New Zealand
![State Highway 1 NZ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/State_Highway_1_NZ.svg)
The term ''motorway'' in New Zealand encompasses multilane divided freeways as well as narrower two- to four-lane undivided Limited-access road, expressways with varying degrees of grade separation; the term ''motorway'' describes the legal traffic restrictions rather than the type of road.
New Zealand's motorway network is small due to the nation's low population density and low traffic volumes making it uneconomical to build controlled-access highways outside the major urban centres.
New Zealand's first motorway opened in December 1950 near Wellington, running from Johnsonville, New Zealand, Johnsonville to Tawa, New Zealand, Tawa. This motorway now forms the southern part of the Johnsonville-Porirua Motorway and part of New Zealand State Highway 1, State Highway 1. Auckland's first stretch of motorway was opened in 1953 between Ellerslie and Mount Wellington (between present-day exit 435 and exit 438), and now forms part of the Auckland Southern Motorway, Southern Motorway.
Most major urban areas in New Zealand feature limited-access highways. Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Dunedin contain motorways, with only Auckland having a substantial motorway network.
See also
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Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Controlled-Access Highway
Controlled-access highways,
Types of roads