Highway-like road
A freeway-like road is a road that resembles a freeway both because of its freedom from intersections and because of its signage and mostly because of the structurally separate directional lanes .
America
Canada
There are many motorway-like roads in Canada with a total length of around 15,000 km. They have no separate motorway signs. In the province of Québec they are called Autoroutes (with separate signs).
Peru
In the greater Lima area , the Panamericana and some other main roads are built like a motorway.
United States
The United States has at least 50,000 miles of freeway-like roads that do not have dedicated freeway signs. Most of the expressways are part of the federally funded interstate highway system. There are also federally funded US highways, whose black and white license plate design is based on the number plate of the interstates, and state routes (or state highways, depending on the state). Within larger cities and in their vicinity, but also between cities that “lack” an interstate, these two types are sometimes being developed as expressways with limited access roads and / or structurally separate two-lane lanes.
Asia
China
In the People's Republic of China , in addition to the motorways, there are also motorway-like motorways with the designation "快速 公路" ( kuaisu gonglu ). They are directionally separated and, with the exception of the speed limit (100 km / h instead of 120 km / h), do not differ from motorways. In contrast to the green signposted motorways, however, like all other roads, they are provided with blue signs.
In Hong Kong , in addition to the actual highways, there are freeway-like roads that are known as expressways (Chinese kuaisu gonglu ), but which, similar to the English dual carriageways , can be used by all vehicles. In contrast to the “real highways”, which are signposted green, they are signposted blue like all other roads in Hong Kong.
Thailand
In addition to the highways, there is also a dense motorway-like expressway network in Thailand . Thailand's expressways have a total length of over 60,000 kilometers. Most Thai highways are two-lane open to traffic, and often have a hard shoulder , hard shoulder called. Multi-lane expressways have so-called "U-Turns" (German: semicircle turn) and traffic light-controlled intersections that slow down the flow of traffic at regular intervals . These multi-lane roads are comparable to the “dual carriageway” common in Great Britain. In Thailand they are also called "Divided Highway", where the two directional lanes are separated. In many through-roads and at some intersections there is a parallel side lane (Frontage Road) on each side . The maximum speed is 50 km / h in urban areas and 90 km / h outside of urban areas.
Europe
Germany
definition
For Germany, roads similar to autobahns are defined in the guidelines for signposting outside autobahns , or RWB for short. Such a road must be of high traffic importance and ensure a journey without stopping in normal operation. Ideally, it should be provided with motorway-like signage. In the administrative regulation for road traffic regulations, there has been a reference by the legislature for the first time since 2009 to identify them. Accordingly, the yellow or white exit sign will only be placed on motorway-like roads. However, the regulation does not allow the reverse conclusion that such a sign must be placed on such streets. If it is not a motorway in the sense of the road traffic regulations, the color is changed from white letters to a blue background. This is done in black on yellow on federal or other regional roads and black on white on inner-city roads. At least every road marked in this way is officially verified as a motorway-like road.
In the ranking of the compulsory use of roads for the transport of dangerous goods, the motorway-like roads take second place after the motorways. This shows that the legislature ascribes an increased safety standard to such roads. The autobahn-like roads also include federal autobahns that are not autobahns in the sense of the road traffic regulations, i.e. which are designated as autobahns according to the Federal Trunk Road Act, but are not signposted as such.
Duration
In Germany there are around 3350 km of roads with two lanes, each with at least two lanes.
Signage
Comparison of signs between motorway and motorway-like external and internal roads in the usual order at exits:
- Autobahn - blue system
Sign 332
Sign 333
Sign 448
Sign 449
Characters 450-52
Sign 453
,_StVO_1992.svg){kind=small}
,_StVO_2013.svg){kind=small}
- Highway-like road - yellow system
Sign 332.1
Sign 333.1
Sign 448-50
Sign 449-50
Characters 450-55
Sign 453-50
_StVO_2013.svg){kind=small}
- Highway-like road - white system
Sign 332.1-20
Sign 333.1-20
,_500_x_2000,_StVO_2017.svg){kind=small}
The yellow signs make it clear why the term yellow motorway is used in everyday language , even though it is also white on the rare inner-city streets. A large majority of the motorway-like roads are also designated as motorways .
Since 2009, there have been two text passages for signage in the administrative regulation for road traffic regulations :
- to sign 333 exit from the Autobahn
- Outside of motorways, the sign may only be placed on a motorway-like road (see number II on sign 330.1; paragraph 2). Then the sign has either a yellow or - if it follows sign 332 in white with targets according to sign 432 - white ground. The writing and the border are black.
- To the signs 332, 448, 449 and 453 signposts on motorways
- Signs 332, 448, 449 and, if applicable, 453 must be used on roads that are similar to autobahns in accordance with the guidelines for signposting outside autobahns (RWB).
This means that the yellow or white exit sign may only be placed on motorway-like roads. However, the regulation does not allow the reverse conclusion that such a sign must be placed on such streets.
Speed limits
Contrary to popular belief, there is not necessarily a speed limit for cars and other motor vehicles up to a maximum permissible weight of 3.5 tons on a motorway-like road :
- On extra-urban roads without structural separation, but with at least two lanes per direction (i.e. only a solid line between the directions of travel), no speed limit applies to cars and other vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of up to 3.5 t, unless such has been expressly ordered is. For these vehicles, just like on the autobahn, a general recommended speed of 130 km / h applies (in accordance with Section 1 Motorway Guideline Speed Ordinance (BABRiGeschwV) in conjunction with Section 3 (3) No. 2. c StVO ). For other vehicles, on the other hand, the same maximum speeds apply on such roads as they otherwise apply on roads outside of the city, e.g. B. 60 km / h for trucks .
- The same applies to extra-urban roads with structural separation of the directional lanes by z. B. Green strips, central barrier (same paragraphs as above).
- On motorways with structural separation of the directional lanes - regardless of the number of lanes - the same maximum speeds apply to all vehicle types as on motorways ( Section 18 (5 ) StVO ).
If none of these three cases apply (for example typically with 2 + 1 systems, see below), the otherwise usual maximum speeds apply ( § 3 StVO).
Highway-like roads with structurally separated two-lane directional lanes
In some cases, such as the B 6n , for example, motorway-like roads with structurally separated two-lane lanes have no obvious difference to a motorway, except that the signs are yellow-black instead of blue-white. Reasons why it is not officially a motorway can be:
- The standard of construction is well below that of a motorway:
- small standard cross-section with a narrow median (for example B 239 near Herford , B 4 near Bad Harzburg )
- radiate tight curves ,
- The road is not operated by the federal government.
- The road is a continuation of a national motorway and fulfills only secondary purposes at the end (two nationally known examples are the Hüttentalstraße in Siegen as an extension of the A 4 and the expanded B 3 from Gießen to Marburg as an extension of the A 485).
- It is an already built section of an abandoned motorway plan (for example the B 66 near Bielefeld , planned earlier than the A 35 ).
- It is a former motorway that has been rededicated as a federal road (e.g. B 59 near Grevenbroich , former A 540 )
Sometimes such developed roads are only blocked for bicycles and mopeds, which allows driving agricultural vehicles and pedestrians. In some cases, there are also no restrictions on vehicle traffic.
If the standard corresponds to a motorway, upgrades can also be carried out; the former B 6n was upgraded to A 36 and A 369 in 2019 .
In some cases, those roads are also provided with motorway-like signage in which the two-lane directional lanes are only separated by continuous double lanes.
2 + 1 system
The 2 + 1 system represents a newer high-speed variant of an intersection-free motorized road with separate lanes and motorway-like entrances and exits. Some of these streets are also provided with motorway-like signs (see above). Here the directions of travel alternate in two lanes for around 1.5 to 2 km, while the opposite direction has only one lane. As with motorways, the directional lanes are strictly separated. It is forbidden to use the opposite lane and its entrances and exits. These roads only require three lanes in total, but still offer good overtaking comfort. However, the signage and road marking are extremely complex, as every 2-1 change must be announced several times. In addition, this complex road marking must be kept in good condition, especially in the changing area.
Since the middle of 2013, according to a press release by the Federal Highway Research Institute with regard to the guidelines for the construction of rural roads (RAL), all trunk roads should be created consistently (at least) in the 2 + 1 system. From this point on, newly built highways of this system will be marked with a green colored stripe between the directional lanes in order to visually better delimit the lanes. The possibility of a median or any other structural separation is not mentioned.
The system was created in order to create good overtaking comfort with relatively little use of the landscape. The system can be implemented on a street width of a total of three lanes if you do without a structurally designed median, which is also done in a large number of cases. The lane separation usually consists of a double-lane continuous lane marking or a concrete wall. After the good successes on some reference routes , the system is often used on new federal highways when a motorway would not be appropriate for the volume of traffic, but long distances are to be bridged, especially in rural areas.
If there is no structural separation (for example, a solid line instead of a central guardrail or green strip), vehicles can easily get into oncoming traffic, especially if two lanes narrow again to one lane. For such roads without structural separation, the usual regulations (according to § 3 Paragraph 3 No. 2 StVO ) for maximum speed on roads outside of built- up areas also apply in the 2 + 1 system , i.e. H. usually 100 km / h. In some cases, however, higher speeds are permitted on clear routes; For example, on the B 31n to Stockach and on the B 299 between Amberg and Ursensollen as a motorway feeder to the A 6, Tempo 120 is permitted in both the two-lane and the single-lane areas.
In hilly areas, the lane change usually takes place exactly in the valley and on the hilltop. This ensures that two lanes are always available in the uphill direction and that trucks and slower vehicles can be overtaken.
Examples: B 1 , B 2 between Weißenburg and Roth, B 4 near Uelzen, B 10 between Pirmasens and Landau, B 16 , B 20 , B 25 between Möttingen and Harburg (Swabia), B 33 , B 51 partly between Blankenheim and Prüm , B 54 between the Haiger-Burbach motorway exit ( A 45 ) and the Siegerland airport , B 56n , B 59n between Rommerskirchen and the A 1 in Cologne-Bocklemünd, B 64 Höxter - Holzminden B 67 between Bocholt and Maria-Veen, B 72 , B 71 near Gardelegen, B 82 near Langelsheim, B 96 between Altefähr and Bergen auf Rügen, Bundesstrasse 286 between Alitzheim and Gerolzhofen, B 178 , B 210 , B 300 , B 239 Steinheim - Höxter, B 314 near Blumberg, B 482 .
The sixth law amending the law on the expansion of trunk roads contains more than a hundred new construction sections in the 2 + 1 system, but does not make any statement about the sections in which the directional lanes are intended to be separated by median strips or other structural facilities, which could allow higher speeds than on ordinary country roads.
Elevation-free two-lane road
The high-level two-lane road is similar to the motorway only in the exit announcement and the high-level exits and entrances (for example: B 218 , bypass Bramsche-Engter ).
construction sites
Construction sites are usually less expensive to set up on motorway-like expressways than on motorways. While on motorway construction sites one tries whenever possible to provide at least two lanes per direction of travel, in construction sites on motorway-like expressways often only one lane per direction of travel is provided.
Truck toll
Since July 1, 2018, truck tolls have to be paid on all federal highways, therefore also on autobahn-like roads that are federal highways.
See also
- List of federal motorways that are not motorways
- List of highways that are not federal highways
- Motorway
Austria
As of January 1, 2010, Austria had 1,719 km of motorways as well as 466 km of expressways , of which around 288 km had a motorway cross-section. Since the Austrian road traffic regulations do not recognize any explicit expressways , the expressways are signposted either as autobahns or motorways , depending on the state of development .
The expressways S 1, S 2, S 6, S 33 and S 36 are consistently ranked as a motorway in terms of road traffic law , while S 4 and S 31 are partially. The S 35 is a special case, which despite the cross-section of the autobahn and maximum speeds of up to 130 km / h is only signposted as a road due to the tight curve radii.
| number | designation | course | Operating length |
State of development | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Weinviertel expressway |
Stockerau - Hollabrunn -Süd junction | 22 km | 2 + 1 system and level-free | in operation; Hollabrunn-Süd - state border near Kleinhaugsdorf : in planning |
 |
Mattersburg expressway |
Node Mattersburg - node Wiener Neustadt | 19 km | Motorway cross-section (2.5 km) / four-lane and level-free (16.5 km) |
in operation |
 |
Stockerau expressway |
Node Stockerau - node Jettsdorf ; Jettsdorf - Krems junction |
45 km | Motorway cross-section (35.5 km); two-lane and level-free (9.5 km) |
in operation; Full expansion Jettsdorf - Krems: no schedule |
 |
Mühlviertel expressway |
Unterweitersdorf - Freistadt -Nord | 22 km | Motorway cross-section | in operation; Freistadt-Nord - State border near Wullowitz : in planning |
 |
Arlberg expressway | Zams - Arlberg road tunnel - Bludenz - Montafon | 62 km | two-lane or 2 + 1 system and level / partial motorway cross-section |
in operation |
 |
Burgenland expressway | Eisenstadt -Ost - Mattersburg - Oberpullendorf -Süd | 46 km | Motorway cross-section (13 km) / four lanes and level-free (31 km) |
in operation |
 |
Traisental expressway | Schwadorf - Wilhelmsburg node | 0 km | - | in planning |
 |
Bruck expressway | Node Bruck - node German Feistritz | 36 km | Motorway cross-section | in operation |
 |
Klagenfurt expressway |
St. Veit- North - Klagenfurt- North | 18 km | level / four-lane (14 km) |
in operation; Scheifling - Friesach: no schedule; Friesach - St. Veit Nord: Completion 2017 |
In addition to the expressways, there are also some motorway-like motorways that are under state administration and are therefore not part of the motorway and expressway network. Examples for this are:
- B 317 Friesacher Straße : between St. Veit and Friesach and between St. Georgen and Unzmarkt, expanded like a motorway
- B 311 Pinzgauer Strasse : the Bischofshofen bypass is also unofficially called A10a in specialist circles
- B 116 Leobener Straße : in the area of the cities of Leoben, Bruck an der Mur and Kapfenberg, it is largely four-lane
Greece
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The national roads are signposted in blue in Transport GR . Up until the early 1990s there was no autobahn construction; instead, since the late 1950s, the national roads were built with two lanes and two hard shoulder. During the overtaking process, it was common for the car to use the hard shoulder to enable overtaking; as the volume of traffic increased, all four lanes were used regularly. Most of the now often four-lane national roads serve as a toll-free alternative to the autobahn, but they are rarely completely free of intersections and have narrower radii and lanes.
Great Britain
Of the highest road class below the motorways, the A roads , the most important are defined as primary routes and highlighted by signs on a green (instead of white) background. Depending on the volume of traffic, these primary routes will be expanded in sections with four lanes and separate directions ( dual carriageway ). However, there is no absolute freedom of height, such a route can lead over traffic lights and roundabouts. All types of vehicles are permitted on these roads. The maximum speed is 70 miles per hour (112 km / h) as on the UK motorways.
If particularly important A roads are expanded in sections to form motorways (no height or cultivation), they usually keep their traditional street names starting with A and are given an M in brackets. For example, the A1 is called A1 (M) in sections with motorway status. In terms of traffic law, these (M) roads are considered to be motorways, they are not allowed to be used by slow vehicles, and the signs are there on a blue background.
Italy
In Italy , motorway-like roads that are not subject to tolls are called Superstrada (German: Schnellstraße , literally: Superstraße ). Such streets are formally called Strada extraurbana principale (outlying main street). A maximum of 110 km / h may be driven on them (for comparison: a maximum of 130 km / h on the motorways and 90 km / h on undeveloped state roads). These are often motorway feeder roads ( raccordo autostradale ) or bypass roads or upgraded sections of state roads . The signage is blue, like on normal roads, while the highways are signposted green.
Iceland
There are no motorway signs in Iceland , but there are some motorway-like roads. Up until 2008 it was a total of 16 km, all in the Reykjavík area . At the end of 2008, another 28 km long motorway-like road was opened, which leads from Keflavík towards Reykjavík.
Netherlands
There are also motorway-like roads in the Netherlands . These roads are usually referred to as Autoweg (plural: autowegen ) and are signposted as Autostraße ( 
). Officially, they are not motorways, but some have two structurally separate lanes each or “only” motorway-like entrances and exits. The maximum speed is 100 km / h. One example is the N281 .
Poland
In Poland , expressways ( Polish : Drogi ekspresowe ; singular Droga ekspresowa ) are motorway-like, mostly with two lanes and at least two lanes . However, there are also two-lane expressways with only one lane, for which a maximum speed of 110 km / h applies. There is a speed limit of 120 km / h on motorway-like expressways. A maximum speed of 140 km / h applies on Polish motorways (Polish: Autostrady ; singular Autostrada ), characterized by a larger width of the lanes and hard shoulder as well as a larger curve radius in contrast to the expressways. In contrast to the motorways, the expressways are toll-free for passenger cars .
Russia
In Russia , the roads of the highest order are called motorways with federal significance (Russian: Автомобильная дорога федерального значения). These are often motorways with multiple lanes and built like a motorway. In more remote areas, they can only consist of one lane with one lane each, and around large metropolises they can also consist of hundreds of kilometers with three or more lanes on two lanes.
Sweden
In Sweden there are over 1000 km of alternating three-lane motorways with no crossings and structural separation. They have a level of safety similar to that of highways.
Switzerland
Since the classification of a street as a motorway does not depend on the owner of the street, all streets that have a motorway-like development and are prohibited to slow traffic are signaled as motorways (e.g. Crêt-du-Locle bypass ). As a result, there are very few roads that have an (approximately) motorway-like structure, but which are not marked as motorways:
- A4 : Kleinandelfingen – Flurlingen (mini freeway without hard shoulder, signposted as a road )
- A16 : La Heutte – Biel / Bienne ( signposted as main road 6 ; slow traffic permitted)
- A52 : Oetwil am See - Hinwil roundabout (separate direction, narrow street cross-section, signposted as a car road)
Roads that are not directionally separated, run in the 2 + 1 system, are single-lane and on which non-motorized traffic is prohibited can be signaled as motorways.There are many roads that have similar characteristics but are signaled as normal main roads (e.g. B. the national road 28 is a main road and therefore vignette-free).
Slovakia
In Slovakia , expressways ( Slovakian Rýchlostné cesty , singular rýchlostná cesta ) are similar to motorways, mostly with separate lanes with two lanes each, but there are also single-lane expressways. From a legal point of view, they are largely equated with the motorways (slow. Diaľnice , singular Diaľnica ), but have narrower lanes and hard shoulders as well as smaller curve radius and are signposted as motorways. The maximum speed is 130 km / h on the motorways and 100 km / h on single-lane sections.
Spain
In Spain there are many motorway-like roads called Autovía with special signs. Most of them are “real” motorways for which no toll has to be paid, as they are run by public authorities and e. Some were built with EU funds. On the other hand, you have to expect tolls on an Autopista .
The max. permissible maximum speed for motorways (currently 120 km / h), unless otherwise indicated.
Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic , it is mainly the expressways ( Czech : Rychlostní silnice ) that are built similar to motorways. A difference between these roads and the Czech highways (Czech: Dálnice ) is the narrower hard shoulder. A maximum speed of 130 km / h applies on both expressways and motorways. As of January 1, 2016, all expressways were upgraded to highways or normal 1st class roads.
Turkey
In Turkey , it is mainly the motorways with separate lanes ( Turkish : duble yol ) that are built similar to motorways. Depending on the location and type of vehicle, a maximum speed of 110 km / h is permitted on these expressways and a maximum speed of 120 km / h on the motorways. Large investments since 2002 in the construction of the two-lane expressways resulted in a network length of 1499 km in urban areas and 19 790 km in extra urban areas.
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.umwelt-online.de/PDFBR/2009/0154_2D09.pdf
- ↑ BMVBS: Length statistics of the streets of the regional traffic , status: January 1, 2013
- ↑ http://www.umwelt-online.de/PDFBR/2009/0154_2D09.pdf S67 and S77
- ↑ BASt 2017 - Press - New guidelines for the construction of country roads presented. Retrieved June 26, 2019 .
- ↑ Federal Law Gazette . Retrieved June 26, 2019 .
- ↑ S37 project information from ASFINAG ( Memento from June 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Length of the motorways with separate lanes kgm.gov.tr
Web links
- Detailed description in the OpenStreetMap wiki
- Map with motorway-like roads at OverpassTurbo (based on OpenStreetMap data)
