What are the differences between a freeway and expressway, arterial and boulevard, etc.?
What is a Median?
A median is a barrier, constructed of concrete, asphalt, or landscaping, that separates two directions of traffic.
What are Managed Lanes?
Travel lanes associated with a freeway or arterial controlled by lane control signals, electronic toll collection or gates allowing for reversible operation.
What ia Main Lanes / Main Line?
All through-traffic lanes that do not exit and are not dedicated-use lanes are considered main lanes. This is sometimes referred to as the main line of a freeway or highway on AARoads. The main line is also the main route of a highway. Alternate, business, bypass and truck routes are considered auxiliaries of the main line.
What does Limited Access mean?
A limited access highway is a freeway where access is only provided at grade separated interchanges. These are high speed routes that are generally restricted to vehicular traffic.
What is a License Plate?
A license plate is affixed to the front and back of a vehicle to verify that the vehicle is registered in a state. A wide variety of designs for license plates are available in each state to support an array of organizations and charities. 19 states currently only require a rear facing plate.
What is Level of Service (LOS)?
The level of service is a mechanism used by highway departments to determine if a road is operating at ideal, average, or poor efficiency. Termed level of service, each highway is given a grade from A to F that indicates how well the roadway is serving its intended traffic. Roads with a level of service "F" are generally the ones with major traffic issues and are generally prioritized for improvements [...]
What is a Jughandle?
A highway intersection that results in all turns from the right-hand side of the road. The intersection when viewed from above resembles a jughandle in that all left-hand turning traffic exits to the right and loops back to the main road in a perpendicular fashion. This configuration eliminates the need for left-hand turning lanes and signals. It also may be used to provide a sufficient turning radius for semi truck [...]
What is a Junction?
A junction is a meeting of two highways. Normally, signage will show the approaching route shield and the abbreviation "JCT" on a banner above the route shield.
What is an Interchange?
An interchange is the junction of a freeway and another road. To provide access control, interchanges keep the traffic flowing on the freeway, but there may be some restrictions on the connecting routes. A complete interchange provides for movements in all directions; a partial interchange has some missing connections. There are a wide variety of interchange types.
What is Guide Signage?
Freeway guide signage is usually colored green with white lettering, and it provides route information, roadway names, and names of cities that are accessible by that exit.