Motorway symbol in UK, France and Ireland. Similar symbols are used in some other countries.

A motorway (in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, some other Commonwealth nations and the Republic of Ireland) is both a type of road and a classification or designation. Motorways are highways designed to carry a large volume of traffic where a normal road would not suffice or would be unsafe, usually between cities. In the UK they are predominantly dual-carriageway roads, usually with three lanes in each direction, although four-lane and two-lane carriageways are also common, and all have grade-separated access. Image File history File links UK_motorway_symbol. ... Image File history File links UK_motorway_symbol. ... The Commonwealth of Nations (CN), usually known as the Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, the majority of which are former colonies of the United Kingdom. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Category: ... Nighttime traffic captured by a camera over several seconds. ... This early German Autobahn uses a dual carriageway design. ... The word lane has two meanings: a portion of a paved roadway which is intended for a single line of vehicles and is marked by white or yellow lines. ... An example of a four-level stack interchange in the Netherlands. ... A motorway junction is a type of road junction, linking one motorway to another; to other roads; or sometimes to just a motorway service station. ...

Equivalent terms in other countries include autoroute, auto-estrada, autobahn, freeway, autostrada, autopista, motorvej, autópálya, motorväg, avtopat, autoput, avtokinitódromos and diaľnica. In North America, the English terms freeway and expressway (including autoroutes) are used as a type of road, not necessarily as a classification type. Many highways are maintained throughout the United States as part of the Interstate Highway System. These highways are generally similar to motorways in purpose and quality. Autoroute is a French word meaning, literally, a motor road, and corresponding to the words motorway or freeway in English. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... A freeway is a type of highway that is designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. ... Autostrada is the Italian word for motorways, but is used in several countries including Poland and Romania. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... M0* (ringroad around Budapest) M1 (towards Northwestern Hungary – GyÅ‘r, Tatabánya – and Austria) M15* (connects M1 to Bratislava) M3 (towards Northeastern Hungary – Miskolc, Debrecen, Nyíregyháza) M30 (connects M3 to Miskolc) M35 (connects M3 to Debrecen) M5 (towards Southeastern Hungary – Kecskemét, Szeged – and Serbia) M6 (towards Duna... Motorvägar (Swedish for motorway) are motorways that run through Sweden, Denmark and over the Öresund Bridge to Stockholm, Göteborg, Uppsala and Uddevalla. ... The Autoput (Serbocroatian for motorway) is a motorway through Yugoslavia from the Austrian to the Greek border. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... A freeway is a type of highway that is designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. ... An expressway is a divided highway, usually 4 lanes or wider. ... The Autoroute system in the province of Quebec, Canada, is a network of expressways which operate under the same principle of controlled access as the Interstate Highway System in the United States or the 400-Series Highways in neighbouring Ontario. ... The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly called the Interstate Highway System, is a network of freeways (also called expressways) in the United States. ...

Regulations and features

A Sunday in April 2004 at 5 p.m. on Britain's busy M25

In Ireland and the UK, motorways are denoted by blue signage and an M-prefixed or suffixed road number. In New Zealand, motorways are distinguished from regular state highways with the word 'Motorway' on entrance signage. Historically, New Zealand's motorways had green signage while everywhere else had black, until green signage was spread to the entire State Highway network by Transit New Zealand. Motorway M25 just south of Heathrow Airport. ... Motorway M25 just south of Heathrow Airport. ... Rush hour at Tokyo Station, Yamanote Line A rush hour is a part of the day with busy traffic and hence traffic congestion on the roads and crowded public transport; normally the two periods in a day when people are travelling to or from work or school. ... For the star cluster, see Open Cluster M25 The M25 motorway looking south between junctions 14 and 15, near Heathrow Airport. ...

The construction and surfacing of motorways is generally of a higher standard than conventional roads, and maintenance is carried out more frequently; in particular, motorways drain water very quickly to reduce hydroplaning. The road surface is generally tarmac ('black top') or concrete ('white top'). Other features are crash barriers, cat's eyes and, increasingly, textured road markings (a similar concept to rumble-strips). Hydroplaning (sometimes aquaplaning) in a road vehicle is an effect similar to planing in a boat. ... A close-up view of some freshly-laid tarmac. ... Concrete being poured, raked and vibrated into place in residential construction in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... A crash barrier is a barrier on a road designed to prevent vehicles from leaving the carriageway to improve road safety. ... For other meanings, see Cats Eye. ... Rumble strips are strips of painted, ridged road surfaces to warn drivers when they stray from their lanes. ...

Common criteria

For a road to be classified as motorway a number of conditions must be fulfilled. The following conditions generally apply:

• Accessed at junctions by slip roads off the sides of the main carriageway;
• Joined by link-roads at an interchange, the object of which is to allow traffic to change route without stopping or slowing significantly;
• Traffic lights are not permitted (except at toll booths and certain interchanges) - see Ramp meter;
• Have signposted entry and exit points at the start and end;
• Certain types of transport are banned, typically pedestrians, bicycles, learner drivers, horses, agricultural vehicles, underpowered vehicles (e.g. small scooters, invalid carriages). In the Republic of Ireland, the "Motorway Ahead" sign at every motorway junction lists the excluded classes of vehicles. The same is true for the "Motorway Entrance" sign on motorways in most Australian states. In New Zealand, a no pedestrians and no cycles sign precede the "Motorway Begins" sign to tell pedestrians and cycles that they are not allowed on the motorway.

In the UK and the Republic of Ireland there are further restrictions: In the field of road transport, a road junction is a place where two or more roads either meet or cross. ... In the field of road transport, a road junction is a place where two or more roads either meet or cross. ... A stoplight in Mexico City. ... A ramp meter or metering light is a device, usually a basic traffic light or a two-phase (red and green, no yellow) light, that regulates the flow of traffic entering freeways according to current traffic conditions. ... Look up Pedestrian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Bicycle (disambiguation). ... Current EU driving licence, German version - front 1. ... Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ... For the band, see Tractor (band). ... A scooter is a two-wheeled vehicle with a step-through frame in which the rider sits without straddling any part of the engine. ...

• The central reservation must remain unbroken (an exception being the Aston Expressway in Birmingham, which has none);
• Emergency telephones (which connect directly to the police) must be provided at a regular distance (in the UK emergency telephones are situated at intervals of 1 mile)

Note that these only apply to roads directly designated as motorways. Roads may also be indirectly designated as such, see Inheritance below. The second proper album of Beth Orton, Central Reservation helped Orton build on the success of her debut Trailer Park. ... The A38(M) is a short motorway in Birmingham, England, opened on May 24, 1972. ... This article is about the city in England. ... Emergency telephone on a beach at Trefor in North Wales An Emergency telephone is a phone specifically provided for making calls to emergency services and are most often found in places of special danger or where it is likely that there will only be a need to make emergency calls. ...

A motorway in the UK, whether by design or inheritance, must have a Statutory Instrument (SI) defining a stretch of road and sliproads as a special road under the Highways Act 1980. Statutory Instruments (SIs) are parts of United Kingdom law separate from Acts of Parliament which do not require full Parliamentary approval before becoming law. ... A special road is a classification of road in the United Kingdom. ... The Highways Act 1980 consolidated with amendments, earlier legislation. ...

Speed limits

Speed limits are generally higher than on ordinary roads. Some types of vehicle may be subject to a lower limit, while often sections of motorway are subject to lower speed limits due to local driving conditions. A speed limit is the maximum speed allowed by law by vehicles on a road. ...

Queues after an accident on Britain's M4

In the UK the majority of motorways and dual carriageways have a maximum speed limit of 70 mph (113 km/h) for cars. However, a DfT study at several sites in 2006 revealed that over half of all motorway traffic was travelling in excess of this limit^[1] and in 2004 the Conservative Party proposed increasing the motorway speed limit to 80 mph (129 km/h) on some stretches^[2], although this did not appear in their 2005 election manifesto^[3]. Some^{[citation needed]} road safety groups feel this would be a good idea, as it more closely represents the normal (and, they claim, safe) driving practice of the majority of motorway users. The M4 motorway runs from Swansea (South Wales) to London, over the Second Severn Crossing (a cable-supported bridge over the River Severn). ... The M4 motorway runs from Swansea (South Wales) to London, over the Second Severn Crossing (a cable-supported bridge over the River Severn). ... A car accident in Yate, near Bristol, England, in July 2004. ... The M4 motorway is a motorway in England and Wales linking London and west Wales via Bristol. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative & Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), and the largest in terms of public membership. ... The field of road safety is concerned with reducing the numbers or the consequences of vehicle crashes, by developing and implementing management systems ideally based in a multidisciplinary and holistic approach, with interrelated activities in a number of fields. ...

The Republic of Ireland converted to metric speed limits for roads on 20 January 2005 for consistency as most of their national roads already had distances displayed in kilometres^[4]. The speed limit for motorways is 120 km/h (75 mph) - previously a 70 mph limit applied, as in the UK. January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In New Zealand the speed limit on motorways is normally the top limit for state highways, 100 km/h (62 mph), with restrictions in some areas.

Many other roads are of near-motorway quality, but are not classified as such (generally for breaking one or more of the above rules). These are referred to as dual carriageways, which in Britain usually have the same 70 mph (113 km/h) limit. The default limit for dual carriageways in New Zealand is 100 km/h (62 mph), in Australia 110 km/h, and in Ireland 100 km/h on national roads and 80 km/h on other classes of road. Dual carriageways may be subject to a lower speed limit (e.g. in urban areas, or low-specification). In Ireland, high-quality dual carriageways may also have a special limit of 120 km/h.

Lane use

Diagram showing lanes and road layout, with Irish road markings.

White dashed lines denote the lane separation, while an unbroken white line is painted alongside the median (usually known as the 'central reservation'). A white line (or in Ireland, a yellow line) on the edge of the slow lane marks the edge of the hard shoulder. The hard shoulder is not used for traffic and is reserved for breakdowns or emergency manoeuvres. Pedestrians should only use the hard shoulder to walk to emergency telephones and not for any other reason. Vehicles on the hard shoulder should activate their hazard warning lights. Diagram explaining road lanes, as in Britain and Ireland. ... A hard shoulder or simply shoulder is a reserved area alongside the verge of a road or motorway. ...

Lanes closest to the edge of the road are intended for general driving – these are hence the "inside" lanes, while the lanes closest to the median are intended for overtaking (passing) slower-moving vehicles – hence they are termed "outside" lanes. Generally lanes closer to the centre of the road (outer lanes) are used for overtaking, while lanes near the edge of the road (inner lanes) are used for slower traffic (see diagram on right). Under the Highway Code in the UK, it is not permitted to overtake on the left, except in emergencies, when signs indicate drivers may do so, or when traffic is moving slowly. Similar rules apply in Germany and some other countries. With a touch of black humour, the practice is popularly known as undertaking. Diagram showing lanes and road layout, with Irish road markings. ... Front Cover of the Highway Code The Highway Code is the official road safety manual for the United Kingdom. ... Black comedy, also known as black humor, is a subgenre of comedy and satire that deals with serious subjects – death, divorce, drug abuse, et cetera in a humorous manner. ...

Traffic should always use the lefthandmost lane as much as possible. Generally this means a vehicle should use the lefthand lane next to the hard shoulder, and use the other two lanes only for overtaking manoeuvres, moving back into the left lane once they have passed the slower vehicle(s). In heavy traffic, it is acceptable to cruise in the middle lane to pass slower vehicles to avoid constant lane changes.

A significant problem on motorways is the 'middle lane hog', a driver who drives in the middle lane when there is no reason to do so. This can be very frustrating for other drivers. Faster vehicles approaching in the left hand lane have to manoeuvre across four lanes of the motorway rather than two to overtake such a vehicle, since undertaking is deemed dangerous. Drivers of heavy goods vehicles can be especially frustrated by a middle lane hog, as their vehicles are not permitted to use the righthandmost lane on a three (or more) lane motorway under normal circumstances. Some vehicles try to induce a 'right lane hog' to move to the slower lane by keeping a very close distance, which is also considered dangerous.

In the UK lanes in a given direction are numbered from left to right as lane 1, lane 2, lane 3, etc. Lane 1 is the lane next to the hard shoulder.

Junctions

The most basic motorway junction is a two-lane flyover with four slip-roads, two on each side of the motorway, to exit or enter. A simple crossroads or roundabout is present on either end of the flyover. A rather large version of a roundabout, using two curved flyovers is sometimes used to present a single large junction for users of the slip-roads or crossing road. The slip roads leading off the motorway are known as 'exit sliproads', those leading onto the motorway as 'entry sliproads'. The precise sliproad at any junction may be identified by reference to the direction of the carriageway, for example 'northbound entry slip'. Overpass in East Potomac Park, Washington, D.C. Flyover in Miami Beach, Florida An overpass (In UK, India, Hong Kong flyover) is a bridge, road or similar structure that crosses over another road. ... It has been suggested that Cycle facilities at roundabouts be merged into this article or section. ...

The signal-controlled roundabout is often used in these situations and has become very common in Ireland. A far greater degree of complexity is present in Britain with varying types of Spaghetti Junction-style interchanges. A roundabout, rotary (the term used almost universally in the US state of Massachusetts), or gyratory circus is a type of road junction (or traffic calming device) at which traffic streams around a central island, after first yielding to the circulating traffic. ... Gravelly Hill Interchange (unofficially known as Spaghetti Junction) is junction 6 of the M6 motorway where it meets the A38(M) Aston Expressway in Birmingham, England. ...

Motorway junctions are usually given a number, indicated in the UK and Ireland with a white number of a black background in the corner of signs approaching that junction. The same junction number is used in both directions on the motorway. Sometimes, where a junction is newly inserted between two existent junctions, it will be given a letter also (eg 2a). In Ireland, only the M50 and M4 use junction numbers consistently, with some junctions of other motorways being numbered, and some not. The M50 motorway is a motorway and National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. ... The N4 road is a National primary route in the Republic of Ireland, running from Dublin to the northwest of Ireland and Sligo Town. ...

Location and construction

Major intercity or national routes are often built or upgraded to motorway standard. Motorways are also commonly used for ring roads around cities or bypasses of built-up areas. A beltway (American English), ring road or orbital motorway (British English) is a circumferential highway found around many cities. ... Bypass routes are a type of bannered highway usually used when the main route of the highway goes through a town and an alternate route of the same highway goes around the highway. ...

In Britain there are plans to improve many motorways as well as to upgrade some roads to motorway status. In Ireland, the National Roads Authority has been connecting main cities with motorways as part of a six-year National Development Plan. The European Union has part-funded many motorway projects in the past, as part of a Trans-European Transport Networks, and there are plans to invest billions of euro in such projects in the next ten years. The National Roads Authority (NRA) (Irish: An tÚdarás um Bóithre Náisiúnta) is a State body in the Republic of Ireland, responsible for the national road network. ... This is a list of the cities in Ireland, referring to those with a city charter. ... The National Development Plan was created to develop Irelands infrastructure to help invest the rewards from the economic success of the Celtic Tiger National Development Plan (NDP) is the title given by the Irish Government to a scheme of organised large-scale expenditure on (mainly) national infrastructure. ... The Trans-European transport networks (TEN-T) were created by European Union legislation in the 1980s. ... ISO 4217 Code EUR User(s) European Union: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. ...

Toll charges for Britain's M6 Toll

One of the most recently constructed motorways in the UK is the M6 Toll, bypassing Birmingham and Wolverhampton, which opened in 2004 and is the only completely toll motorway in England. There are tolled sections of motorway on the M4 and M48, where they cross the River Severn at the Severn crossings. Although the crossing of the River Thames east of London on the M25 is tolled, the bridge and tunnels themselves are officially designated the A282 to permit usage by non-motorway traffic. In Ireland, the M1, M4, and M50 are all tolled, with sections of the M6, M7 and M8 likely to face tolls also in the future. Road side sign showing traiffs for the M6 Toll. ... Road side sign showing traiffs for the M6 Toll. ... Roadside sign showing (out of date) tariffs for the M6 Toll. ... Roadside sign showing (out of date) tariffs for the M6 Toll. ... This article is about the city in England. ... Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England, traditionally part of the county of Staffordshire. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A toll road, tollway, turnpike, pike or tollpike is a road on which a toll authority collects a toll (i. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... The M4 motorway is a motorway in England and Wales linking London and west Wales via Bristol. ... The M48 is a small motorway in England and Wales that includes the original Severn Bridge. ... The Severn crossing is generally used to refer to two river crossings over the River Severn between England and Wales. ... For the star cluster, see Open Cluster M25 The M25 motorway looking south between junctions 14 and 15, near Heathrow Airport. ... The A282 is a road linking the two ends of the M25 at Dartford and Thurrock, via the Dartford Crossing. ... The N1 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, partly connecting Dublin and Belfast along the east of Ireland (mostly as the M1 motorway). ... The N4 road is a National primary route in the Republic of Ireland, running from Dublin to the northwest of Ireland and Sligo Town. ... The M50 motorway is a motorway and National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. ... The N6 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, connecting Dublin to Galway (by connecting from the M4 motorway at Kinnegad) across the midlands of Ireland. ... The M7 motorway is a motorway in Ireland that runs continuously from the outskirts of Naas to south of Portlaoise. ...

Inheritance

In the UK and Ireland certain types of traffic are not permitted on motorways. Thus, to avoid people being forced to travel illegally, there are a number of rules about stretches of road which must be designated as motorways.

In all cases, there must be an escape route for traffic not wishing or not permitted to enter the motorway. As a result, the motorway technically begins as soon as the escape route has diverged from it; for example at a grade-separated junction, the motorway starts at the junction with the exiting slip road, and the opposite slip road is also part of the motorway for this and the following reason. An exception was the A1(M) near Leeds, which was "illegal", as pedestrians could legally cross 300 yards from the start, but cyclists and other types of traffic not permitted on motorways had no way of turning back - the escape route was the Boot & Shoe a mile before. This is remedied by the A1(M) extension. On some maps the start was disguised or covered so people could not see the blunder. Also known as the Great North Road. ... Statistics Population: 726,000 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SE297338 Administration Metropolitan borough: City of Leeds Metropolitan county: West Yorkshire Region: Yorkshire and the Humber Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: West Yorkshire Historic county: Yorkshire (West Riding) Services Police force: West Yorkshire Police Fire and...

As a result, this creates a less-restrictive set of rules for the standard of the road. Roads whose only destination is a motorway must be assigned motorway status, notwithstanding the possibility of their not being built to normal motorway standards. For example, the A48(M) motorway outside Cardiff begins after the last exit to St Mellons, since by staying on the dual carriageway you cannot get anywhere other than the M4 eastbound; however, it is a motorway-grade highway. A similar example in Ireland is the M6, currently a short 2 km section of the N6 eastbound that leads exclusively to the M4 motorway. The equivalent westbound section of the N6 is not signed as a motorway however. The A48(M) is a motorway in Wales, a short spur off the M4 towards Cardiff. ... St Mellons (Welsh: Llaneirwg) is a district of the city of Cardiff, Wales. ... The M4 motorway is a motorway in England and Wales linking London and west Wales via Bristol. ... The N6 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, connecting Dublin to Galway (by connecting from the M4 motorway at Kinnegad) across the midlands of Ireland. ... The N4 road is a National primary route in the Republic of Ireland, running from Dublin to the northwest of Ireland and Sligo Town. ...

Route numbering

In England and Wales, the numbers of major motorways were allocated to broadly follow the A-roads heading in the same direction, with a zonal pattern formed by the single-digit motorways, in much the same way as the single-digit A-roads mark out the zone boundaries for all-purpose routes. The numbering is entirely separate - the M1 and the A1 can co-exist. The M1 motorway heading south towards junction 37 at Barnsley, South Yorkshire. ... Also known as the Great North Road. ...

In Scotland, where the Scottish Office rather than the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation had the decision, there is no zonal pattern, but rather the A-road rule is strictly enforced. The M8 follows the route of the A8, and the M85 became part of the M90 when the A90 was re-routed along the path of the A85. Categories: Stub | Scotland | Departments of the United Kingdom Government ... In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the transport network. ... The M8 at Charing Cross in Glasgow The M8 runs under Sauchiehall Street and the Bridge to nowhere Kingston Bridge, looking eastward up the River Clyde Glasgows urban motorway, the M8 is the busiest motorway in Scotland. ... The A8 is a major road in Scotland, connecting Edinburgh to Greenock via Glasgow. ... The M90 motorway is a major road in Scotland. ... The A90 is a major road in Scotland. ... The A85 is a major road in Scotland. ...

Signage on the N6 near Kinnegad in Ireland, where the designation M6 is used for a short section of motorway.

In Ireland, motorway and national road numbering does not follow the same convention. As of 2006, all motorways are part of, or form, national primary roads. These routes are numbered in series, using numbers from 1 to 33 (and, separately from the series, 50). Motorways use the number of the route of which they form part, with an M prefix rather than N for national road (or in theory, rather than R for regional road) ^[5]. In most cases, the motorway has been built as a bypass of a road previously forming the national road (e.g. M7 bypassing roads previously forming the N7) - the bypassed roads are reclassified as regional roads, although updated signposting may not be provided for some time, and adherence to signage colour conventions is lax (regional roads have black-on-white directional signage, national routes use white-on-green). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1125 KB) Summary M6 January 2006 at Kinnegad. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 1125 KB) Summary M6 January 2006 at Kinnegad. ... The N6 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, connecting Dublin to Galway (by connecting from the M4 motorway at Kinnegad) across the midlands of Ireland. ... Kinnegad (Cionn Átha Gad in Irish) is a town in County Westmeath, Ireland. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A typical Irish road sign in Mullingar, County Westmeath Ireland, both north and south of the border, has an extensive network of roads. ... The N7 road is a National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland, connecting Dublin and Limerick. ... A Regional Road in the Republic of Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route (such as a National Primary Route, or National Secondary Route), but nevertheless forming a link in the national road network. ...

The M50, an entirely new national road, is an exception to the normal inheritance process, as it does not replace a road previously carrying an "N" number. The M50 was nevertheless legislated as the "N50" route (despite having no non-motorway sections). The M50's designation was chosen as a recognisable unique number (as of 2005 N34 is the next unused national primary road designation). In theory, a motorway in Ireland could form part of a regional road ^[6]. The M50 motorway is a motorway and National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In Hungary, similarly to Ireland, motorway numbers can be derived from the original national highway numbers (1-7), with an "M" prefix attached, eg. M7 is on the route of the old Highway No. 7 from Budapest towards Lake Balaton and Croatia. New motorways not following the original Budapest-centered radial highway system get numbers M8, M9, etc., or M0 in the case of the ringroad around Budapest. Schematic path of Motorway M7 The M7 motorway connects Budapest, the capital city of Hungary with the south-western regions of the country, including Lake Balaton. ... Nickname: Paris of the East, Pearl of the Danubeor Queen of the Danube Location of Budapest in Hungary Country Hungary County Pest Mayor Gábor Demszky (SZDSZ) Area    - City 525,16 km²  - Land n/a km²  - Water n/a km² Population (2006)  - City 1,695,000  - Density 3570/km... Lake Balaton - Landsat satellite photo Lake Balaton (Slovak Blatenské jazero, meaning approximately muddy lake, probable origin of the name; German Plattensee), located in Hungary, is the largest lake of Central Europe with a surface area of 592 km². Its length is 77 kilometres and the width ranges from 4 to...

In New Zealand, motorway numbers are also derived from the state highway route which they form a part of, but unlike Hungary and Ireland they are not distinguished from non motorway sections of the same state highway route. In the cases where a motorway acts as a bypass of a state highway route, the original state highway is either stripped of that status or renumbered (as in the case of the Northern motorway extension from Albany to Silverdale, north of Auckland, where the new motorway was designated as part of State Highway One, while the old state highway one route linking Albany to Silverdale was designated State Highway 17). Schematic map of Auckland. ... State Highway 1 is the most significant road in the New Zealand roading network. ...

Motorway service areas

Motorway service areas (MSA), motorway service stations, or simply motorway services, as in the rest of the world, are places where drivers can leave a motorway to refuel, rest, or take refreshments. Almost all the MSA sites in the UK are owned by the Department for Transport and let on 50-year leases to private operating companies. In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the transport network. ...

Food sold at MSAs is notoriously expensive (although discounts are frequently available; for instance, MOD (Ministry Of defence) and The AA breakdown members receive a little-publicised 20% discount on virtually all products at Moto service stations on production of their membership card). This is often attributed to the fact that, under the terms of their leases, MSAs must provide free short-term parking and free toilet facilities and adequate provision for the sale of food and fuel; also, the vast majority of MSAs in the UK are owned by one of three companies: Moto, Welcome Break or RoadChef. Another factor may be that, unlike in other countries, the companies must pay the full cost of constructing the entry and exit ramps and all other required features for safe access to the MSA, as well as the MSA facility itself. In other countries, the authority responsible for the highway tends to subsidize these costs on the grounds that these areas are partly a public service to drivers. The leases provide that MSAs must operate 24 hours a day, and the costs of providing utilities and services are high. With very few customers in the early morning, they need to earn the money in other ways. Look up mod in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Automobile Association (also referred to as The AA) is a British motoring organization. ... Moto Hospitality is a company which operates motorway service stations in the UK. It is owned by the Compass Group. ... Moto Hospitality is a company which operates motorway service stations in the UK. It is owned by the Compass Group. ... Welcome Break is a company which operates motorway service stations in the UK. See also Category:Welcome Break motorway service stations External links Welcome Break TAB - Operators - Welcome Break Categories: | ... RoadChef is a company which operates motorway service stations in the UK. See also Category:RoadChef motorway service stations External links RoadChef Categories: Catering and food service companies of the United Kingdom | Corporation stubs ...

Services are prohibited from selling alcohol, as this might encourage drunk driving. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

History

The first motorway built was the Autostrada dei laghi, inaugurated on September 21, 1921 in Milan. It linked Milan to Varese. Piero Puricelli, the engineer who designed this new type of road, decided to cover the expenses by introducing a toll to be paid by whoever used the motorway. ^{[7] [8]} September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... Milano redirects here. ... Varese is a city in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan. ... A toll road, tollway, turnpike, pike or tollpike is a road on which a toll authority collects a toll (i. ...

References

1. ^ New directions in speed management: a review of policy, pp 13, 23, DfT
2. ^ "Tories blitz 'cash-maker' cameras", BBC, August 3, 2004.
3. ^ ARE YOU THINKING WHAT WE’RE THINKING? IT’S TIME FOR ACTION: CONSERVATIVE ELECTION MANIFESTO 2005.
4. ^ Detailed Information. Go metric go safe. Ireland Department of Transport).
5. ^ Roads Act 1993 (Classification of National Roads) Order 2006 (PDF) - Department of Transport
6. ^ Roads Act 1993 (Classification of Regional Roads) Order 2006 (PDF) - Department of Transport
7. ^ German Myth 8: Hitler's Autobahn?. Retrieved on 2006-04-03.
8. ^ 1924 Mile Posts. Retrieved on 2006-04-03.

DFT can have at least four meanings: Discrete Fourier transform Density Functional Theory Design For Test The UKs Department for Transport This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ... PDF is an abbreviation with several meanings: Portable Document Format Post-doctoral fellowship Probability density function There also is an electronic design automation company named PDF Solutions. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ...

See also

• List of motorways in the United Kingdom
• Roads in Ireland
• List of motorways in Belgium
• List of motorways in Hungary
• List of motorways in New Zealand
• Pakistan National Highway
• Freeway (includes links to motorways around the world)
• UK topics
• Motorway junction

A complete listing of motorways in the United Kingdom. ... A directional road sign in the Republic of Ireland on an other road (not a national road) at Portlaoise, County Laois, including patches for national roads and advance warning of bridge height restrictions. ... List of highways and ring roads in Belgium. ... M0* (ringroad around Budapest) M1 (towards Northwestern Hungary – Győr, Tatabánya – and Austria) M15* (connects M1 to Bratislava) M3 (towards Northeastern Hungary – Miskolc, Debrecen, Nyíregyháza) M30 (connects M3 to Miskolc) M35 (connects M3 to Debrecen) M5 (towards Southeastern Hungary – Kecskemét, Szeged – and Serbia) M6 (towards Duna... It has been suggested that List of motorways and highways of Pakistan be merged into this article or section. ... A freeway is a type of highway that is designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. ... This is a list of topics related to the United Kingdom. ... A motorway junction is a type of road junction, linking one motorway to another; to other roads; or sometimes to just a motorway service station. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Motorway

• Department for Transport (United Kingdom)
• Highways Agency (England)
• Czech Motorways (Czech Republic)
• Slovak Motorways (Slovakia)
• National Roads Authority (Republic of Ireland)
• European Union Transport Policy
• CBRD Motorway Database
• UK Roads Portal
• How Motorway Numbering Was Organised in the UK
• How Motorways Work (Satirical insight)
• Independent Auckland Motorways Website (New Zealand)

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