Highway

A highway is any public road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks: It is not an equivalent term to freeway (motorway), or a translation for autobahn, autoroute, etc.

In North American and Australian English, major roads such as controlled-access highways or arterial roads are often state highways (Canada: provincial highways). Other roads may be designated "county highways" in the US and Ontario. These classifications refer to the level of government (state, provincial, county) that maintains the roadway.

In British English, "highway" is primarily a legal term. Everyday use normally implies roads, while the legal use covers any route or path with a public right of access, including footpaths etc.

The term has led to several related derived terms, including highway system, highway code, highway patrol and highwayman.

The term highway exists in distinction to "waterway".

Overview

Major highways are often named and numbered by the governments that typically develop and maintain them. Australia's Highway 1 is the longest national highway in the world at over 14,500 km or 9,000 mi and runs almost the entire way around the continent. China has the world's largest network of highways followed closely by the United States of America. Some highways, like the Pan-American Highway or the European routes, span multiple countries. Some major highway routes include ferry services, such as U.S. Route 10, which crosses Lake Michigan.

Massachusetts State Highway System

In the U.S. state of Massachusetts, the highway division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) assigns and marks a system of state-numbered routes. U.S. Highways and Interstate Highways are included in the system; the only overlaps are with the end-to-end U.S. Route 3 and Route 3 and the far-apart Interstate 295, shared with Rhode Island, and Route 295, shared with New York State. A state highway in Massachusetts is a road maintained by the state, which may or may not have a number. Not all numbered routes are maintained or owned by the state.

History

The Massachusetts Highway Commission (MHC) was the first highway commission in the U.S., formed in 1893 in response to a commission of inquiry finding that over 90% of the public roads in the state were in poor condition. The first state highway in Massachusetts was a 5305.17-foot (1617.02 m) section of Fitchburg Road (now Main Street, part of Route 119) in Ashby. The MHC laid it out as a state highway on August 15, 1894 from a point west of South Road to a point west of Route 31. The road was paved with 15–20 foot (4.5–6 m) macadam, with work beginning August 21, 1894 and ending July 15, 1895. The 50–66 foot (15–20 m) right-of-way is still owned by MassDOT under the original layout.

List of Hawaii state highways

Below is a partial list of state highways in Hawai‘i.

The current state (then territorial) highway numbering system was established in 1955. Route numbers are organized so that the initial digit corresponds to the island:

  • Numbers beginning with 1 or 2: Hawaii
  • Numbers beginning with 3: Maui
  • Numbers beginning with 4: Molokai, Lanai
  • Numbers beginning with 5: Kauai
  • Numbers beginning with 6 to 9: Oahu
  • In general, two-digit numbers are primary highways, while secondary state highways are given three-digit numbers.

    When referring to highways, Hawai'i residents usually refer to state highways by their names instead of their route numbers (e.g. Kamehameha Highway instead of Route 99).

    Routes

    Hawai‘i County

  • State Route 11 - Hawai‘i Belt Road: Kanoelehua Avenue, Volcano Highway, Māmalahoa Highway, Kuakini Highway, Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway
  • State Route 19 - Hawai‘i Belt Road: Bayfront Highway, Kamehameha Avenue, Māmalahoa Highway, Lindsey Road, Kawaihae Road, Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway
  • Podcasts:

    PLAYLIST TIME:

    Route

    by: Son Volt

    Reality, it burns
    The way we're living is worse
    The pillars of inspiration are all falling down
    The clean-up won't work while the fallout goes on.
    And it's now or never, too close to the latter
    We're all living proof that nothing lasts.
    Standing in the neutral zone
    Living on sleep deprivation
    The rural route sleeps while the city bleeds all over itself
    Over the falls in a barrel is where the answers have gone
    And it's now or never, too close to the latter
    We're all living proof that nothing lasts
    And it's here for now, transient tomorrow
    We're all living proof that nothing lasts.
    Another road remains, but it provides no more
    It can only take us away
    Southbound, you can taste the weather
    It feels like home
    And it's now or never
    Too close to the latter
    We're all living proof that nothing lasts
    And it's here for now, transient tomorrow




    Latest News for: route

    Construction in Norwalk, other towns on Route 7 and Route 15 will close lanes for ...

    The Hour 21 Mar 2025
    Norwalk officials say there will be lane closures overnight on Route 15 and Route 7 in Norwalk beginning on Friday and going until late October.� ... .

    Avalanche take control early en route to rout of Senators

    Marietta Daily Journal 21 Mar 2025
    Brock Nelson scored his first two goals as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, leading the visitors to a 5-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night ... .

    Colin McDonel fans 9, CD East’s bats catch fire in rout of Milton Hershey

    The Daily Item 21 Mar 2025
    Central Dauphin East collected 13 hits to rumble past Milton Hershey, 12-0 in 4.5 innings in Mid-Penn Conference crossover action on Thursday ....

    Luke Littler hits nine-dart-finish en route to Premier League win in Cardiff

    The Independent 21 Mar 2025
    The reigning champion hit 10 180s in a thrilling final. .

    UPDATE Route 45 has reopened

    The Danville News 21 Mar 2025
    LAURELTON — Route 45 is back open after it was closed for six hours Thursday to allow for emergency response to a vehicle crash.

    Tigers rout Tellico Plains, Midway; improve to 9-0 on the year

    The Daily Post-Athenian 21 Mar 2025
    Meigs County hasn't just won nine straight games to start the year, the young Tigers have won them handily ....

    Edwardsville opens with rout of Normal Community

    The Intelligencer 21 Mar 2025
    Joe Chiarodo and the Edwardsville Tigers picked up right were they left off. .

    State Route 81 reopens between Washington, Unicoi counties

    Johnson City Press 21 Mar 2025
    The Tennessee Department of Transportation recently reopened a section of state Route 81 between Washington and Unicoi counties ....

    Dietert Center hosts local leaders on MOW routes

    Hill Country Community Journal 21 Mar 2025
    Hunger and isolation from family and friends impact ...

    PhysicsWallah files draft IPO papers with Sebi via confidential route

    The Times of India 21 Mar 2025
    ... Sebi through a confidential pre-filing route.
    ×