The national road network of Canada - It is getting better

May 14, 2012 - PRLog -- The national road network of Canada generally consists of expressways, major arterial roads, minor arterial roads, collector roads, and local roads. The primary function of expressways is traffic movement, and there is no local transit service. The speed limits are from 80 to 100 km/hr, and cyclists and pedestrians are prohibited. Expressways are of the highest priority when it comes to winter maintenance. Traffic movement is also the main function of major arterial roads, and they are subject to access controls, with speed limits from 50 to 60 km/hr. There are sidewalks on both sides, and some major arterial roads have bicycle lanes. Minor arterial roads have a limit of up to 5,000 bus passengers a day and up to 20,000 vehicles per day. The main intersections of minor arterial roads are controlled by traffic signals, and there are no Stop signs. Both major and minor arterial roads are high priority of winter maintenance. Collector roads have a limit of 1,500 bus passengers and up to 8,000 vehicles a day, providing access to traffic and property movement. There are signalized intersections and sidewalks on both sides. Winter maintenance is medium priority. Finally, local roads allow low traffic speed and provide access to property. There are no bus routes and less than 2,500 vehicles are allowed a day. Sidewalks are on at least one side, and local roads are low priority of winter maintenance.

The Trans-Canada Highway is a highway of a federal-provincial type, which joins the ten provinces. Along with Australia’s Highway 1 and the Trans-Siberian Highway, it is among the longest national highways in the world.  The main Trans-Canada Route is made of Manitoba Highway 100, Manitoba Highway 1, Saskatchewan Highway 1, Alberta Highway 1, and British Columbia Highway 1. The highway is an important trade and travel artery, providing transportation links between different communities.  Regarding roads, the country has close to 900,000 km of roads while the national highway system of Canada consists of more than 38,000 km of major regional and national highways.  About three-quarters of the freight shipments in the country move on roads, both to international and domestic destinations. Trucks carry virtually all goods consumed in the country, moving seventy-five percent of the value of shipments to international and domestic locations.

In addition to highways and roads, there is a category of scenic travelways, found in Prince Edward Island, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. The touring routes found here usually follow collector and slower-paced trunk roads, describing the natural features, history, and culture along the route. Among them are the Evangeline Trail, the Cabot Trail, the Ceilidh Trail, and many others. The Evangeline Trail, for example, measures 292 km and is found in the western part of Nova Scotia, bringing visitors to the Gulf of Maine, the Annapolis Valley, and the Minas Basin. The trail connects Yarmouth and Mount Uniacke. The Glooscap Trail is another scenic roadway found in the northern and central parts of Nova Scotia, which connects Amherst and Wolfville and measures 365 km.

For more information please visit: http://www.canadafaq.ca/