Unit 9 Highway

Highway in Pennsylvania, USA Highway SP-160 in Brasil

Highway is a term commonly used in the United States 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 fastest expanding and second largest highway system in the world.

Some highways, like the Pan-American Highway or the European routes, connect multiple countries. Australia’s Highway 1 connects all state capitals and runs almost the entire way around the country.

The longest single national highway in the world is the Trans-Canada Highway, which runs from Victoria, British Columbia, on the Pacific Coast, through ten provinces to the Atlantic Coast, at St. John’s, Newfoundland.

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.