Freeways are the main Interstate Highways. I-94, I-80, etc.
Highways are just county highways. Hwy M, Hwy W, etc.
Highways are just county highways. Hwy M, Hwy W, etc.
Originally posted by: jdoggg12
yea, b/c i claimed it was my own. :roll:
i merely copy and pasted and didn't feel it was necessary to use quotes... i figured the sterile language and bracketed numbering would make it obvious it wasn't mine. But way to point out the flaws in my post. You douche :disgust:
Originally posted by: preCRT
Originally posted by: jdoggg12
I Wik'd it up
Highway is generic for a roadHighway is a term commonly used in the United States and other countries to designate major roads intended for travel by the public between important destinations, such as cities.
Highway designs vary widely. They can include some characteristics of freeways and motorways such as multiple lanes of traffic, a median between lanes of opposing traffic, and access control (ramps and grade separation). Highways can also be as simple as a two-lane, shoulderless road.
The United States has the largest network of national highways, including Interstate highways and United States Numbered Highways. This network is present in every state and connects all major cities. China has the second largest highway system in the world.
According to California civil code 360(590) a highway refers to "any way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel." Streets, avenues and even one lane dirt roads are therefore considered highways within the state of California, so long as they are maintained by the state. Multi-lane, high-speed roadways with restricted access are called Freeways according to California's civil code, whereby all freeways are highways but not all highways are freeways.
Some highways, like the Pan-American Highway or the European routes, bridge multiple countries. Australia's Highway 1 is the longest national highway in the world at over 20,000km and runs almost the entire way around the country.
Highways are not always continuous stretches of pavement. For example, some highways are interrupted by bodies of water, and ferry routes may serve as sections of the highway.
A freeway is a type of highway designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. This is accomplished by preventing access to and from adjacent properties and eliminating all cross traffic through the use of grade separations and interchanges; railroad crossings are also removed. Such highways are usually divided with at least two lanes in each direction. Because traffic never crosses at-grade, there are generally no traffic lights or stop signs.
The word "freeway" first surfaced in the mid-1930s in proposals for the improvement of the New York City parkway network.[1] It is currently in regular use in the United States, as well as parts of Canada and Australia. In the United States the term "freeway" is frequently used in the western part of the country. Other terms are predominant in other regions, such as "interstate" in the South (and particularly in Florida) and "expressway", "turnpike", or "thruway" in the Northeast and Midwest. While some people use these terms interchangeably, "turnpikes" and "thruways" have specific associations with some toll roads and other limited access highways such as the West Virginia Turnpike, New Jersey Turnpike, Florida Turnpike, and New York State Thruway.
freeway = high speed road
Wrong. First 'freeway' was meant as a distinction from highways that require tolls, like turnpikes, hence the road being called a 'freeway'.
The poll should add 'expressway' as most east coasters will attest. I never hear anyone but left coasters say 'freeway'.
Originally posted by: ch33zw1z
Originally posted by: BD2003
Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
How about parkway?
this term is being abused now more than ever. it was generally used to describe 2-lane non-arterials that went through a scenic area, but now it's being applied to freeways, toll highways, etc.
I always understood parkway = no trucks.
Parkway = no Commercial plated vehicle. some states have Combination plates for trucks/vans...basically anything that's not a big truck+trailer.
Originally posted by: TheTony
In my opinion/experience:
Highway: State
Freeway: Interstate
So, I use both. Highway does tend to be used (misused) interchangably by people I hear using it.
Originally posted by: Mo0o
I think i'm backwards from most people. I call the ones that are near larger cities Freeways and ones that are in more rural areas highways.
Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
Originally posted by: TheTony
In my opinion/experience:
Highway: State
Freeway: Interstate
So, I use both. Highway does tend to be used (misused) interchangably by people I hear using it.
that may be the case in the USA but not elsewhere.
Originally posted by: thomsbrain
Originally posted by: IGBT
Originally posted by: BlancoNino
They're two different kinds of roads....
Highways are generally 2 lane and aren't divided.
Freeways are generally 4 lane, divided, and go for a long long time.
...:thumbsup:
except that there are PLENTY of highways that are 4 lane and divided, but are NOT freeways.