Types of road

Last updated May 04, 2025

A road is a thoroughfare, route, or way on land between two places that has been surfaced or otherwise improved to allow travel by foot or some form of conveyance, including a motor vehicle, cart, bicycle, or horse. Roads have been adapted to a large range of structures and types in order to achieve a common goal of transportation under a large and wide range of conditions. The specific purpose, mode of transport, material^[1]^[2] and location of a road determine the characteristics it must have in order to maximize its usefulness. Following is one classification scheme.

Taxonomy of Road

Marohn distinguishes between roads that are designed for mobility which he terms "roads" and those that function to "build a place", build community wealth and provide access to land. He argues the value of a road in terms of both community wealth and mobility is maximised when the road speed is either low or high, but not at midpoints such as 45mph. He refers to this low-value midpoint of speed and land access as a stroad.^[3]^: 69

Types of roads

Lower capacity roads

Tree tunnel in Florida TreeTunnel.JPG — Tree tunnel in Florida

Street

Primitive roads

Large roads

Higher capacity roads

Sometimes with medians.

Expressways

The term expressway includes limited-access roads and grade-separated highways.

Private roads

Intersecting roads

Material type

Roads also may be classified based on their pavement material types. For instance, the Long-Term Pavement Performance database includes more than 30 types of pavement types for roads in the US and Canada.^[2]^[4]^[5] However, a more generic classification of roads based on material type is as follows.^[5]^[6]

Concrete roads
Asphalt roads
Gravel roads
Earthen roads^[7]
Murrum roads
Kankar roads
Bituminous roads^[8]

Other thoroughfares

Bascule bridge
Bus lane
Canal
Carpool lane
Cycle track
Cycling infrastructure
Flight deck
Footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail)
Free-market roads
National roads
(Native American) Indian route
Paper street
Race track
Runway
Stroad
Shunpike ^[9]
Wildlife crossing

Road types by features

In this list, roads names are used in different areas and the features of the roads varies. So this table address the differences in that usage when needed.

Name	Country	Access type	Speed	Cross traffic	Divided	Notes
2+1 road	Ireland		High	No	Yes
2+1 road	North America		High	No	Optional
2+1 road	Sweden	Junction (roundabout)	High	No	Yes
2+2 road			High	No	Yes	Type of dual carriageway
Alley		Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Arterial road			High	No	Optional
Autobahn	Germany	Interchange	High	No	Yes
Autocesta		Interchange	High	No	Yes
Autopista		Interchange	High	No	Yes
Autoroute		Interchange	High	No	Yes
Autoroute	Canada	Interchange	High	No	Yes	expressway is synonymous with freeway or autoroute depending on the province
Autostrada	Italy	Interchange	High	No	Yes
Autostrasse		Interchange	High	No	Yes
Autoestrada	Portugal	Interchange	High	No	Yes
Avtomagistral (variously translated)	Russia		High		Yes	Designated so according to the communication importance; features vary
Boulevard		Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Business route		Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Collector/distributor road			High	No	Optional
Cul-de-sac		Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Distributor road			High	No	Optional
Divided highway			High	No	Optional
Driveway		Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	Optional
Dual carriageway	Ireland	intersection	High	Yes	Yes
Dual carriageway	Singapore	intersection	High	Yes	Yes
Dual carriageway	UK	Uncontrolled	Any	Yes	Yes
Express-collector			High	No	Optional
Expressway		Partial	Varies	Limited	Varies	General definition
Expressway	US	Partial	Varies	Limited	Yes	General US definition^[10]
Expressway	Canada	Interchange	High	No	Yes	expressway is synonymous with freeway or autoroute depending on the province
Farm-to-market road			High	No		usually a state highway or county highway
Freeway	US	Interchange	High	No	Yes
Freeway	Canada	Interchange	High	No	Yes	expressway is synonymous with freeway or autoroute depending on the province
Frontage road	Argentina	Partial	Low	Yes	No
Frontage road	China	Partial	Low	Yes	No	know locally as service roads or auxiliary roads
Frontage road	US	Uncontrolled or Partial	Low	Yes	No	Can be one way roads with opposing directions on either side of the adjoining freeway
High-quality dual carriageway		Interchange	High	No	Yes
Highway			High	No	Optional
Lane		Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Link road			High	No	Optional
Motorway		Interchange	High	No	Yes
Parkway			High	No	Optional
Provincial road	Italy	Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Provincial road	Netherlands	Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Provincial road	South Africa	Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Provincial road	Turkey	Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Regional road	Ireland	Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Regional road	Italy	Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Road		Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Semi-highway		Interchange	High	No	Yes
Single carriageway		Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Street		Uncontrolled	Low	Yes	No
Superhighway		Interchange	High	No	Yes
Super two			High	No	Optional
Thruway		Interchange	High	No	Yes
Two-lane expressway			High	Yes	No

Notes

Access type
- Interchange - access limited to grade-separated interchanges
- Junction (roundabout) - access limited to major roads via a roundabout
- Partial - Limited access
- Uncontrolled - no control of access
Speed
- Any - Used in all types of applications
- Low - Low-speed
- High - High-Speed
Cross traffic
- Yes- cross traffic allowed at-grade without a traffic light
- Intersections - at-grade with a traffic signal
- No - no cross traffic
Divided
- Yes
- No
- Some - some sections may be divided

References

↑ Piryonesi, Sayed Madeh (November 2019). Piryonesi, S. M. (2019). The Application of Data Analytics to Asset Management: Deterioration and Climate Change Adaptation in Ontario Roads (Doctoral dissertation) (Thesis).
1 2 Elkins, G.E., Schmalzer, P., Thompson, T., and Simpson, A. 2003. Long-Term Pavement Performance Information Management System Pavement Performance Database User Reference Guide.
↑ Marohn, Charles L. Jr. (2021). Confessions of a recovering engineer: transportation for a strong town (1st ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey. ISBN 978-1-119-69929-3. OCLC 1253442641.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
↑ Piryonesi, S. M.; El-Diraby, T. E. (2020) [Published online: December 21, 2019]. "Data Analytics in Asset Management: Cost-Effective Prediction of the Pavement Condition Index". Journal of Infrastructure Systems. 26 (1): 04019036. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)IS.1943-555X.0000512. S2CID 213782055.
1 2 Piryonesi, Sayed Madeh (November 2019). Piryonesi, S. M. (2019). The Application of Data Analytics to Asset Management: Deterioration and Climate Change Adaptation in Ontario Roads (Doctoral dissertation) (Thesis).
↑ Way, N.C., Beach, P., and Materials, P. 2015. ASTM D 6433–07: Standard Practice for Roads and Parking Lots Pavement Condition Index Surveys.
↑ "9 Types of Roads in civil Engineering and Construction". 2 October 2020.
↑ "Properties of bituminous materials and Uses, Chemical composition". 9 October 2020.
↑ "shunpike". Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC. Retrieved 15 May 2019. A side road taken, instead of a turnpike or expressway, to avoid tolls or to travel at a leisurely pace.
↑ Section 1A.13, Paragraph 27, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices , 2003 ed., rev. 1.

External links

"C1 Street Suffix Abbreviations". USPS.com. USPS. Retrieved 15 May 2019.

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[:3-1] Piryonesi, Sayed Madeh (November 2019). Piryonesi, S. M. (2019). The Application of Data Analytics to Asset Management: Deterioration and Climate Change Adaptation in Ontario Roads (Doctoral dissertation) (Thesis).

[:0-2] 1 2 Elkins, G.E., Schmalzer, P., Thompson, T., and Simpson, A. 2003. Long-Term Pavement Performance Information Management System Pavement Performance Database User Reference Guide.

[3] Marohn, Charles L. Jr. (2021). Confessions of a recovering engineer: transportation for a strong town (1st ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey. ISBN 978-1-119-69929-3. OCLC 1253442641.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[:13-4] Piryonesi, S. M.; El-Diraby, T. E. (2020) [Published online: December 21, 2019]. "Data Analytics in Asset Management: Cost-Effective Prediction of the Pavement Condition Index". Journal of Infrastructure Systems. 26 (1): 04019036. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)IS.1943-555X.0000512. S2CID 213782055.

[:32-5] 1 2 Piryonesi, Sayed Madeh (November 2019). Piryonesi, S. M. (2019). The Application of Data Analytics to Asset Management: Deterioration and Climate Change Adaptation in Ontario Roads (Doctoral dissertation) (Thesis).

[6] Way, N.C., Beach, P., and Materials, P. 2015. ASTM D 6433–07: Standard Practice for Roads and Parking Lots Pavement Condition Index Surveys.

[7] "9 Types of Roads in civil Engineering and Construction". 2 October 2020.

[8] "Properties of bituminous materials and Uses, Chemical composition". 9 October 2020.

[9] "shunpike". Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC. Retrieved 15 May 2019. A side road taken, instead of a turnpike or expressway, to avoid tolls or to travel at a leisurely pace.

[10] Section 1A.13, Paragraph 27, Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices , 2003 ed., rev. 1.

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