What is a highway?
Q: What is a highway?
A: A highway is a road made for travel by the public between important places, such as cities, towns and landmarks.
Q: How are highways numbered?
A: Highways in many countries are usually numbered to easily tell them apart. In the United States, major north/south routes are odd numbered and east/west are even numbered. In Canada, routes that are in the 400s are freeways. In China, types of routes are separated by the first letter of the route; "G" for national road, "S" for provincial road and "Y" for rural roads.
Q: What type of design do highways have?
A: Highways come in many different designs. They can include many lanes of traffic, a median (strip of lane or barrier) between lanes of opposing traffic, and access control (ramps and bridges). Highways can also be as simple as a two-lane road.
Q: What problems can arise from too much traffic on highways?
A: When too many cars travel along a highway, traffic slows down; this is known as a traffic jam. This can lead to pollution from car exhausts which is why public transportation (such as buses) and special lanes for those who have a given number of people in a car are used to help stop these problems.
Q: What does AASHTO stand for?
A: AASHTO stands for American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials which controls the Interstate Highway system in the United States.
Q: Are there different names used to describe highways around the world? A: Yes, different countries use different words to describe highways such as freeway, superhighway, autoroute, autobahn, parkway expressway autostrasse autostrada byway or motorway.
