por The interurban route (commonly called highway), within the concept of public highway, is that paved road that connects cities or important centers within a city. According to the Spanish penal code, the interurban road is «the geographical space that is duly marked by the symbol of opening to town.»
Some authors conceive them as roads for public use, built only for vehicular traffic; In addition, they are also used for long journeys. Its classification will depend on the lanes that constitute it, the crossings and the type of traffic they support.
Since there are several classifications, they need road specifications for their correct construction and maintenance. It is estimated that the first roads were created to allow the passage of animals, since they could not travel on the same routes as people. During the Roman Empire the evolution of these first roads took place.
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History
Several important civilizations are known to have made important contributions to road construction:
– There are records that estimate that the Mesopotamians were the pioneers in the matter, finding evidence of roads made around 3500 BC. c.
– The Chinese developed a line of roads towards the s. XI a. C. The Silk Road (the longest in the world) is attributed to them.
– In South America, the Incas built an elaborate network of roads, although some historians do not fully consider them to be roads because, at that time, they were unaware of the existence of the wheel. These networks ran all over the Andes and were made of cut stone.
– The Egyptians built roads to transport materials for the later construction of the pyramids and monuments to gods and pharaohs.
– Some roads made in the Roman Empire still exist. It is estimated that they were built between 312 and 220 BC. C. and allowed to move from the center to the most important cities. Maintenance was the responsibility of the towns and cities through which they passed; thus their good condition was maintained.
– In the S. XVII the French government reinforced the construction of these roads with the support of private institutions, which established tolls to allow the maintenance of the roads.
– The improvements and advances in terms of road infrastructure are due in large part to the advances made during the s. XIX. After the second half of that century, asphalt and pavement are included as main materials for the construction of roads.
– In the S. XX, during the 30s, the Germans developed a new system of roads called autobahnwhich are considered the predecessors of the current roads.
Interurban road characteristics
– They are roads that connect cities or important centers within a city.
– They are also popularly known as highways.
– They are intended almost exclusively for the transit of motor vehicles.
– They are used for long journeys.
– They do not have crossings that cross the road.
– Depending on the type, some do allow the passage of people and even animal-drawn vehicles.
– They have freedom of layout.
Types of interurban roads
According to its characteristics
Freeways
Highways specially designed for automotive vehicular traffic. They have access control; that is, they have specific points for the passage of vehicles. They do not have crossroads with other roads (paths or railways) and have different roads.
highways
They have similar characteristics to the highway, with the difference that pedestrians and people with limited mobility are allowed to cross. They always have signs indicating that it is a highway.
Expressways or for automobiles
They consist of a single carriageway for both directions in the vehicular passage. It does not cross any other road and has access limits.
conventional roads
They are considered as those that do not meet the previously explained characteristics. They have crossroads, intersections and shortcuts. They also include roads for high-speed passage and a layout for slower and scarcer traffic.
According to the functions they fulfill
Nationals
They are also main calls, because they connect the population or provincial centers of a country. This is why they make long-distance traffic possible.
Regional and county
Secondary calls, communicate the centers of activities of a region. Some authors consider them a branch of the national highways.
local
They unite small towns, so their journey is short and close.
Local
They are used to link to particular properties. Generally, these are unpaved.
Differences with the conventional road
They have traffic lanes in the same direction, separated from vehicles coming in the opposite direction.
They consist of two traffic lanes for each direction.
It does not have intersections or roads that lead to them.
It has intersections and shortcuts.
They have tolls and road controls.
Most restrict the type of vehicle you can drive.
There is passage of all types of vehicles.
Differences with urban road
They are those that are located within urban centers. Streets, squares and everything found in the urban area are included. Some of its main characteristics are the following:
– They serve for the containment, regulation and accessibility of the vehicular passage.
– They manage large amounts of traffic in short periods, especially where there are large concentrations of population.
– They are conditioned by space.
– Include vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
– There are intersections.
– Multiplicity of accesses from the outside.
– They are short distance networks.
Differences with crossing
It is a stretch of road that leads to a town, crossing it from the beginning to the end.
References
Banon Blazquez, Luis. (nd). Carts Manual. In Sirius UA of sirio.ua.es.
Road. (nd). On Wikipedia at es.wikipedia.org.
Differentiation between urban and interurban roads in the crime of speeding in article 379.1 of the Penal Code. (2013). In Criminal Law from infoderechopenal.es.
History of the roads. (nd). In Arqhys Arquitectura of arqhys.com.
Public road. (nd). In Arqhys Architecture. In Arquys Architecture of arquys.com.
Public road. (nd). On Wikipedia at es.wikipedia.org.