Road vocabulary

Roads vocabulary


Road
is a flat, hard surface built for vehicles or people to travel on. Roads can include streets, highways or trails.

Streets


Streets are public roads in cities or towns. Streets can include:
  • Alley: a narrow street between buildings.
  • Avenue: a wide and long street with tall buildings on both sides in a town or in a city.
  • Boulevard: a wide street in a city, often with trees, grass or flowers on each side.
  • Cul-de-sac (also dead end): a street that has only one inlet.
  • Crescent: a street in the form of a crescent shape.
  • Drive (US driveway): A short private road for access to a house or a garage.
  • Walkway: a path for walking along.


Highways


Highways are public roads that connect cities. Highways can include:
  • Beltway: a ring road, that goes around a city.
  • Causeway: a raised road that is across wet ground or wetland.
  • Artery (also arterial road): a high-capacity and important road.
  • Dual carriageway (US divided highway): a road with median strip separating  two or more lines of traffic that are moving in opposite directions.
  • Single carriageway (US undivided highway):  a road with one line of traffic.
  • Motorway (US freeway): a highway that is designed for fast-moving traffic.
  • Expressway: a highway with limited-access, that is designed for fast-moving traffic, and goes through a city.
  • Service road: a side road running parallel to a major road.
  • Parkway: a wide road with trees and grass on the both sides and in the middle.
  • Turnpike (also toll road): a wide road that you pay a fee (or toll) to use.


Trails


Trails are roads, usually unpaved, through a countryside, forest, field etc. Trails can include:
  • Back road: a small road, usually found in rural areas.
  • Byway: a small road, often unsurfaced, that is not used very much.
  • Dirt road: an unpaved road that is made from soil.
  • Gravel road: an unpaved road that is made from gravel.

Parts of a road


A road can consist of carriageway (US roadway), lanes, pavement (US sidewalk), crossroads, and median strip.
  • Carriageway: the part of a road used by vehicles.
  • Lane: the part of a carriageway, that is marked by painted lines. The  part of a road which is designed for bicycle travel is called bicycle lane.
  • Pavement: the part of a road for people to walk on.
  • Crossroads (also intersection): a place where two or more roads meet each other.
  • Median strip (also central reservation): a paved area that separates two or more lines of traffic.

BrE
AmE
Carriageway
Roadway
Drive
Driveway
Dual carriageway
Divided highway
Motorway
Freeway
Pavement
Sidewalk
Single carriageway
Undivided highway

Sentence Examples:

We are walking along the road.
The hotel is on 13th Avenue
Gravel roads are bad for tires.
A parked lorry is obstructing the highway.


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