highways, freeways, expressways...

**vicente** · 05-30-2008

Interesting post Scott

:

As I mentioned in my post, I did not research the subject before I posted so I might be in error on some things. Still, I wonder about freeways not being "free of charge". There might be some but offhand, I know of no freeway that charges (expressways maybe) but I haven't been on them all so... I know that what we (in my neck of the woods) normally call freeways are part of the interstate highway system funded by the federal government and to my knowledge I have never paid to travel on one.

Re "expressway". What you described is what we call an "express lane" on a freeway not an expressway. There are also HOV (high occupancy traffic) lanes. A true expressway is identical to a freeway except that it is shorter, built for a specific high-density traffic area and not part of the Interstate system. I'm trying to think of some well-known ones but the Long Island Expressway is all that comes to mind at the moment.

I used the term "archaic" because, to my knowledge, I don't think they name them turnpikes anymore. I know there are several in existence but they are all pretty old. I have travelled the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida Turnpikes and the newest one (Florida) was built in the 60s 0r 70s.

As for paying on a tollroad, your description is accurate except that on some of them you don't get a ticket when you enter, you simply throw money in a basket at certain toll points.

I think terminology is a matter of what part of the country you live in so it is difficult to accurately say what these different roads are called throughout the country (an expressway to you, is an express lane to me) but I think we have pretty well explained the system.

Cheers, vicente

Originally Posted by ScottJ

Here are a couple of clarifications I would like to make for roads in the United States:

Freeways are not named that way because they are "free of charge". They are named freeways because they are free of cross traffic. They do not have intersections; instead they have on- and off-ramps and cars do not have to stop while on the road.

Expressways are separate sections of freeways, generally being the middle lanes where cars (trucks are generally not allowed in expressways or express lanes) that are travelling a greater distance move to escape the traffic of cars and trucks exiting and entering in the "local" freeway.

Turnpike is not archaic. There are turnpikes in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Oklahoma (those are the ones I am familiar with, I am sure that there are others). The concept is simple: when you enter the turnpike, you receive a ticket. There are very few exits (generally one every twenty or so miles--turnpikes are generally through very rural areas with no reason to exit unless you live there) and when you need to stop to get gas or eat something, they have built complexes on the side of the road. When you exit, you hand over the ticket and you pay the toll according to the distance you have travelled on the turnpike. Perhaps you have to drive on one to understand.

Highways encompass these three types of roads as well as many other kinds (simple two-lane roads that extend between towns, basically anything that is not a residential street...). Now, I am not even going to pretend that I know as much about translating the terms into Spanish.

**ScottJ** · 05-30-2008

Freeway: My comment was on the terminology, not on the actual implementation. A freeway is generally, as most roads are, free of charge to use. But, according to the definitions, a tollroad is a freeway. Stated logically: all tollroads are freeways, not all freeways are tollroads. What defines it as a freeway is the lack of intersection.

Expressway: I did describe an express lane, though an expressway is the same idea, which is to say that access to the road is limited more so than with a freeway.

Turnpike: I guess I don't get what you were going with by using the word "archaic". Many of the highways we drive on in the States were built in the 1950s, but the term "highway" is not archaic.

Tollroad: I wasn't discussing tollroad, I was speaking strictly of turnpikes, which are specific to those particular states (you are correct that there is a turnpike in New Jersey, which I had forgotten to mention, and that Florida has one as well...I wasn't aware of that).

As always, a conversation is the key to imparting knowledge. I worked for the street department for a city as a lad, so they indoctrinated me on the differences. They are, however, highly irrelevant in everyday usage. The system itself should be explained by this thread...I can't think of what else to include!

Originally Posted by vicente

Interesting post Scott

:

As I mentioned in my post, I did not research the subject before I posted so I might be in error on some things. Still, I wonder about freeways not being "free of charge". There might be some but offhand, I know of no freeway that charges (expressways maybe) but I haven't been on them all so... I know that what we (in my neck of the woods) normally call freeways are part of the interstate highway system funded by the federal government and to my knowledge I have never paid to travel on one.

Re "expressway". What you described is what we call an "express lane" on a freeway not an expressway. There are also HOV (high occupancy traffic) lanes. A true expressway is identical to a freeway except that it is shorter, built for a specific high-density traffic area and not part of the Interstate system. I'm trying to think of some well-known ones but the Long Island Expressway is all that comes to mind at the moment.

I used the term "archaic" because, to my knowledge, I don't think they name them turnpikes anymore. I know there are several in existence but they are all pretty old. I have travelled the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida Turnpikes and the newest one (Florida) was built in the 60s 0r 70s.

As for paying on a tollroad, your description is accurate except that on some of them you don't get a ticket when you enter, you simply throw money in a basket at certain toll points.

I think terminology is a matter of what part of the country you live in so it is difficult to accurately say what these different roads are called throughout the country (an expressway to you, is an express lane to me) but I think we have pretty well explained the system.

Cheers, vicente

**lauracipolla** · 05-30-2008

hey, guys... you have given me SOOOOO much information now that... I'm sure I'm going to drive only on streets from now on! haha.

seriously, thanks a lot, vicente and scottj (don't get into a fight because of my post, eh?)

**youwho** · 06-04-2008

I am a native English speaker and i couldn't add more to what both,
scottj and vicente have said.

**youwho** · 06-04-2008

Originally Posted by lauracipolla

hey, guys... you have given me SOOOOO much information now that... I'm sure I'm going to drive only on streets from now on! haha.

seriously, thanks a lot, vicente and scottj (don't get into a fight because of my post, eh?)

loooooool

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