Controlled-access highway
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Sweltering motorists do not seem to have a history . . . As a reality a traffic jam is impressive, but it doesn't say much." —"La autopista del sur" (1966) by Julio Cortázar "Wir fahren auf der Autobahn"--"Autobahn" (1974) by Kraftwerk |
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A controlled-access highway is a road designed exclusively for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow and ingress/egress regulated. They are known by various terms worldwide, including Autobahn, autostrada, autopista, autoroute, freeway, motorway, otoyol, snelweg, thruway, and sometimes less precise terms such as expressway, highway, Interstate, or parkway.
Controlled-access highways evolved during the first half of the 20th century. The Long Island Motor Parkway, opened in 1908 as a private venture, was the world's first limited-access roadway. Italy opened its first autostrada in 1925. Germany began to build its first 30km autobahn controlled-access highway without speed limits (then referred to as a dual highway) in 1932 between Cologne and Bonn (now A555). It then rapidly assembled a nationwide system of such roads in anticipation of their use in World War II. The first North American freeways (known as parkways) opened in the New York City area in the 1920s. Britain, heavily influenced by the railways, did not build its first motorway, the Preston By-pass, until 1958.
Most technologically advanced nations feature an extensive network of freeways or motorways.Long-distance travel by highway has to some degree been displaced by airplane, but not entirely - especially in countries adopting high-speed rail
Autobahn
In Germany, the controlled-access highway is called Autobahn and the term was immortalized in the musical composition of the same name by Kraftwerk.
See also
