A route (or road) number, designation or abbreviation is an identifying numeric (or alphanumeric) designation assigned by a highway authority to a particular stretch of roadway to distinguish it from other routes and, in many cases, also to indicate its classification (e.g. motorway, primary route, regional road, etc.), general geographical location (in zonal numbering systems) and/or orientation (north-south v. east-west). The numbers chosen may be used solely for internal administrative purposes; however, in most cases they are also displayed on roadside signage and indicated on maps.
Prefixes Letters are often used in road designations to indicate a class of roadways. Within such a class, roads are distinguished from each other by a road number. The way such letters are used depends on the country or other political jurisdiction which contains and controls the road. For instance, among A1 motorways, the one in Spain has a hyphen between the A and the 1 (Autovia A-1) while in Germany the Autobahn 1 is written A 1, with a space between the A and the 1. In Argentina there are zeros between the A and the 1 (Autopista A001).
Single-letter abbreviations "A" may mean "motorway" in a number of countries (ex. Autoroute in France or Autostrada in Italy and Romania, or Autobahn in Germany), usually the largest and highest-quality roadways in the country. Is also used for primary roads in the UK. It also means a road of national significance in Australia and the United Kingdom. "B" roads in the United Kingdom are distributor roads which have lower traffic densities than the main trunk roads, or A roads. In certain Australian states, a B road is a road of state significance. "C" may mean county in the US and means a connecting route that connects two places in Victoria, Tasmania or the Northern Territory. Means "Circle" or "Circular road" in Japan. "D" may mean départementale in France, or dálnice in the Czech Republic (blend of dálková= 'long-distance' and silnice= 'highway' representing motorways exclusively) and analogous diaľnica in Slovakia "E" may mean "European" road, or "Expressways" in Japan, Zimbabwe, Malaysia "F" "G" may be used for a national highway or freeway in China "H" may mean "Hawaiian Interstate" in the US "I" may mean "Interstate" in the US "J" "K" may be used for a state highway in Kansas in the US or Kreisstraße in Germany "L" may mean "local" route in Ireland or Landesstraße in Germany "M" used for motorways in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, metropolitan routes in South Africa, municipal roads in Portugal, and also used for state highways in Michigan in the US "N" may mean "national" road or for state highways in Nebraska "O" may mean "Otoyol" in Turkey "P" "Q", such as Corridor Q "R" may mean "regional" route in South Africa, Ireland, Portugal and Ukraine or "ring" road, or "rýchlostná cesta" in Slovakia ("rychlost" = velocity) "S" may mean expressways in Austria ("Schnellstraße") and Poland ("droga ekspresowa") or "Shengdao/Provincial Highways" in China "T" T roads in Malaysia are roads in Terengganu; in some parts of the U.S., they are township roads; In Estonia, T is the official prefix for national routes; "territorial" roads in Ukraine; in Italy T is used for tunnels (traforo) when separately classified, like the Great St Bernard Tunnel "U" may mean "unclassified" road; also used in Utah routes in the US "V" "W" "X" may mean "Xiandao/County Highways" in China "Y" may mean "Xiangdao/Town Highways" in China "Z"
Multiple-letter abbreviations AP: Autopista de peaje (toll motorway) in Spain BAB: Bundesautobahn (federal motorway) in Germany, only used in documents, normally just A BR: Brazilian Federal Highway CH/CR: County Highway, Route or Road in the US or Canada among other countries CT: cao tốc (freeway/expressway) in Vietnam DC: drum comunal (communal road) in Romania (road administrated by a commune) DG: droga gminna (communal road) in Poland DJ: drum județean (county road) in Romania DK: droga krajowa (national road) in Poland DN: drum național (national road) in Romania DP: droga powiatowa (county road) in Poland DW: droga wojewódzka (voivodeship/provincial road) in Poland EO: ethniki odos (national road) in Greece FT: Federal Route in Malaysia Fv: Fylkesvei (county road) in Norway IC: Itinerário complementar (complementary route) in Portugal IP: Itinerário principal (principal route) in Portugal NH: Is used to designate National Highway network in India. Also used to designate State Highways in the US State of New Hampshire. QL: quốc lộ (national road) in Vietnam SH/SR: State Highway, Route or Road in New Zealand or the US SS/SR/SP/SC: Strada statale, regionale, provinciale or comunale (state, regional, provincial or municipal road in Italy) TH/TR: Township Highway, Route or Road in the US TL: tỉnh lộ (provincial road) in Vietnam US: United States Numbered Highway USBR: United States Bicycle Route
Roman numeral prefixes I: first-class roads in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (state roads), first-class roads in Bulgaria II: second-class roads in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (regional roads), second-class roads in Bulgaria III: third-class roads in the Czech Republic and Slovakia (district roads, owned by regions), third-class roads in Bulgaria While in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the Roman numeral is followed by a slash, Bulgaria uses a hyphen.
By country Depending on the country, the letter attributed to a road may be part of a road grading system, be a shortening for a type of road especially in a foreign language or refer to a geographical zoning system, such as the Appalachian Development Highway System or the county highway systems of California, Iowa, and Michigan in the United States.
International systems AH roads in the Asian Highway Network CA-: highways part of the Central American highway network E roads in the International E-road network in Europe EV: long-distance cycling routes in the EuroVelo network of Europe TAH: highways part of the Trans-African Highway network
Australia
In Australia, road routes are allocated along sections of named roads, often along parts of multiple roads. Unlike many other countries, most highways in Australia tend to be referred to only by their names. State road authorities have separate numbering systems, for internal use only.
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