What are the differences between a freeway and expressway, arterial and boulevard, etc.?
The triangular shaped paved (usually painted with chevrons) and grassy area where an off-ramp separates from a freeway or other highway. A gore point sign constitutes a nondescript sign with the word "Exit", a diagonal arrow and usually an exit number.
A ghost ramp consists of a closed on or off-ramp that was partially built in anticipation of a future or scuttled highway project or permanently closed due to safety reasons, alignment changes, or to reduce a conflict point.
The term used for the toll free lanes of a limited access highway that incorporates Express, HOV, or HO/T lanes. For instance, Interstate 95 through Miami-Dade County is 12 lanes wide with four general purpose lanes per direction and four overall SunPass-only HO/T lanes.
A freeway entrance is the place where motorists may access a limited access highway. Some of the Western states, Illinois (in select locations) and West Virginia formally mark the on-ramps to freeways with green "Freeway Entrance" signs. These assemblies are often coupled with a route marker and signs prohibiting pedestrians and bicyclists.
A freeway is a limited access divided highway with no at-grade intersections or railroad crossings. Freeways incorporate interchanges for all movements with intersecting roads. Speed limits are generally high (55 miles per hour or more) while pedestrian, farm machinery (with exceptions), and other slow speed traffic such as bicycles and mopeds are prohibited. Shoulders on freeways are reserved for emergency stopping only.
Express lanes were originally used for dual freeway segments where the inside carriageways provided limited ingress and egress points, allowing for higher speeds and better traffic flow due to the lack of merging traffic. A six mile segment of Interstate 96 from Livonia to Detroit, Michigan and Interstate 80 through Patterson, New Jersey include examples of this type of express lanes. Express lanes nowadays referred to toll lanes or tolled [...]
An expressway is generally another term for a controlled access, divided highway. Controlled access means that there are no driveways or minor streets that intersect the highway, but access may be achieved at spaced traffic lights, interchanges, or stop signs. In some cities, such as Chicago and New York, "expressway" is used synonymously with a road built to full freeway (limited access) standards.
Any lane that is forcibly exiting the freeway may be referred to as an exit-only lane. Normally, signage will indicate that motorists in that lane must exit, sometimes on overhead guide signs with yellow and black tabs, and other times with white guide signs mounted on the side of the freeway.
Interchanges in all states are numbered to reduce motorist confusion and to enable motorists to determine distances between exits within a state. Normally, one of two exit numbering methodologies is used: mileage-based or sequential. Mileage-based exit numbering systems have exit numbers that correspond to the nearest milepost, with the zero milepost normally at the southern or western end of the route. Sequential exit numbering simply starts with exit one and [...]
A dual freeway is when a physical barrier separates express and local traffic so that local, merging traffic is kept separate from through, express traffic. An example of a dual freeway is along the Dan Ryan Expressway (Interstates 90/94) in Chicago, Illinois.