Types of road

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Asphalt road in Norway Road in Norway.jpg
Asphalt road in Norway

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.

Contents

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

Hollow way on the side of La Meauffe, witness of the battle of the hedges in 1944) La Meauffe - Chemin creux 1.JPG
Hollow way on the side of La Meauffe, witness of the battle of the hedges in 1944)

Large roads

The A8 Autostrasse in Switzerland. A8 Autostrasse CH.jpg
The A8 Autostrasse in Switzerland.

Higher capacity roads

Sometimes with medians.

Expressways

Autostrada A1 in Italy Autostrada del Sole - Italy - panoramio.jpg
Autostrada A1 in Italy

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

Private roads

Glenbervie House driveway Glenbervie House driveway - geograph.org.uk - 1387866.jpg
Glenbervie House driveway

Intersecting roads

Roundabout Roundabout - Flickr - Stiller Beobachter.jpg
Roundabout

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]

Other thoroughfares

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.

NameCountrysubdivisionAccess typeSpeedCross trafficDividedNotes
2+1 road IrelandHighNoYes
2+1 road North AmericaHighNoOptional
2+1 road SwedenJunction (roundabout)HighNoYes
2+2 road HighNoYesType of dual carriageway
Alley UncontrolledLowYesNo
Arterial road HighNoOptional
Autobahn GermanyInterchangeHighNoYes
Autocesta InterchangeHighNoYes
Autopista InterchangeHighNoYes
Autoroute InterchangeHighNoYes
AutorouteCanadaInterchangeHighNoYesexpressway is synonymous with freeway or autoroute depending on the province
Autostrada ItalyInterchangeHighNoYes
Autostrasse InterchangeHighNoYes
Autoestrada Portugal InterchangeHighNoYes
Avtomagistral (variously translated) Russia HighYesDesignated so according to the communication importance; features vary
Boulevard UncontrolledLowYesNo
Business route UncontrolledLowYesNo
Collector/distributor road HighNoOptional
Cul-de-sac UncontrolledLowYesNo
Distributor road HighNoOptional
Divided highway HighNoOptional
Driveway UncontrolledLowYesOptional
Dual carriageway IrelandintersectionHighYesYes
Dual carriageway SingaporeintersectionHighYesYes
Dual carriageway UKUncontrolledAnyYesYes
Express-collector HighNoOptional
Expressway PartialVariesLimitedVariesGeneral definition
Expressway USPartialVariesLimitedYesGeneral US definition [10]
Expressway CanadaInterchangeHighNoYesexpressway is synonymous with freeway or autoroute depending on the province
Farm-to-market road HighNousually a state highway or county highway
Freeway USInterchangeHighNoYes
Freeway CanadaInterchangeHighNoYesexpressway is synonymous with freeway or autoroute depending on the province
Frontage road ArgentinaPartialLowYesNo
Frontage road ChinaPartialLowYesNoknow locally as service roads or auxiliary roads
Frontage road USUncontrolled or PartialLowYesNoCan be one way roads with opposing directions on either side of the adjoining freeway
High-quality dual carriageway InterchangeHighNoYes
Highway HighNoOptional
Lane UncontrolledLowYesNo
Link road HighNoOptional
Motorway InterchangeHighNoYes
Parkway HighNoOptional
Provincial road ItalyUncontrolledLowYesNo
Provincial road NetherlandsUncontrolledLowYesNo
Provincial road South AfricaUncontrolledLowYesNo
Provincial road TurkeyUncontrolledLowYesNo
Regional road IrelandUncontrolledLowYesNo
Regional road ItalyUncontrolledLowYesNo
Road UncontrolledLowYesNo
Semi-highway InterchangeHighNoYes
Single carriageway UncontrolledLowYesNo
Street UncontrolledLowYesNo
Superhighway InterchangeHighNoYes
Super two HighNoOptional
Thruway InterchangeHighNoYes
Two-lane expressway HighYesNo

Notes

References

  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).
  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)
  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.
  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.