A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved.
The words "road" and "street" are commonly considered to be interchangeable, but the distinction is important in urban design.
There have been routes and trackways in Ireland connecting settlements and facilitating trade since ancient times and the country now has an extensive network of public roads connecting all parts of the country.
The first routes in Ireland were prehistoric trackways, some of which were later developed into roads suited for wheeled vehicles. Many of Ireland's minor roads "may well have had their origin in pre-existing paths and trackways aligned in direct response to the physical environment". Traces of these "evolved roads" which developed over very long periods, frequently from tracks of the prehistoric period, are still evident. Such roads usually followed the tops of ridges and crossed rivers and streams at fording points.
Image 3Closeup of asphalt on a driveway (from Road surface)
Image 4Car fatalities per pax-km vs. car usage per pax-day; in Europe. It seems, at least in these European countries, that car fatalities per person-km have no strong correlation with massification of car usage. The average car usage in these countries is around 30km per person-day with varying number of fatalities ratios. These differences might be related with different cultural approaches to traffic codes, or more safety measures implemented on such countries. (from Road traffic safety)
Image 8The schedule of maximum tolls allowed on the Woodstock to Rollright Turnpike Trust on the Great Road to Worcester in 1751 (from History of road transport)
Image 9Pavement ends and turns into gravel surface road (from Road surface)
Image 11A patched road rut at a PortlandOregon bus stop. During the summer this part of the road will be hot and combined with a bus’s high ground pressure will compress and deform part of the road. Due to the lower elevation from the driveway, a large portion of the buses weight leans on one wheel causing damage to the road. Despite the repairs, you can see the patch is already damaged. This is all happens yearly. (from Road surface)
Image 14John Metcalf, also known as Blind Jack of Knaresborough. Drawn by J R Smith in The Life of John Metcalf published 1801. (from History of road transport)
Image 18Vehicles experiencing a breakdown or an emergency can stop in the emergency lane; these lanes may themselves present risks to traffic. (from Road traffic safety)
Image 19Construction crew laying down asphalt over fiber-optic trench, in New York City (from Road surface)
Image 20The Dutch Reach - Use far hand on handle when opening to avoid dooring cyclists or injuries to exiting drivers and passengers. (from Road traffic safety)
Image 31According to Eurostat and European Railway Agency, in European railway mode of transport, there is a fatality risk for passengers and occupants 28 times lower compared with car usage. Based on data by EU-27 member nations, 2008–2010. (from Road traffic safety)
Image 32Replacing the old road with concrete blocks in Bo'ao Road area, Haikou City, Hainan, China (from Road surface)
Image 34Different layers of road including asphalt layer. The total thickness of a pavement can be measured using granular base equivalency (from Road surface)
Image 35According to Eurostat, there is almost a linear proportion between the total number of passenger-km driven by car and road fatalities. (from Road traffic safety)
Image 37Replacing the old road with cobblestones of cement in Bo'ao Road area, Haikou City, Hainan, China. (from Roadworks)
Image 38The Great North Road near Highgate on the approach to London before turnpiking. The highway was deeply rutted and spread onto adjoining land. (from History of road transport)
Image 39Sacrifices to the Modern Moloch, a 1923 cartoon published in St. Louis Star, criticizing the apparent acceptance by society of increasing automobile-related fatalities (from Road traffic safety)
...that there is no nationwide numbering system in Canada, but the Trans-Canada Highway(pictured) provides a continuous network through all the provinces?
...that the Glasgow Inner Ring Road was only half complete when it was abandoned in 1980, leaving several incomplete junctions, one of which ends abruptly in mid-air?
Improve: You may always improve the quality of road articles by adding more information and references to enhance the overall readers' experience. Improvements to GA and FA quality is much appreciated! Also, nominations for Selected article and Selected picture are always needed, as with Did you know and News. Add to the Portal
Photo request: Just about all of them! Any pictures of Highways regions, road surface or infrastruture varieties or Highways would be useful. In particular we need Highways region maps that can be licensed for Wikipedia.
_tropic_of_capricorn.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.svg)
_-_Travellers_on_the_Way_-_WGA03568.jpg)
_M27_interchange,_Farlington.jpg)
_2006.jpg){kind=link}