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Did you know... Roads form the backbone of the transportation system in the United States. With the development of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s, the focus of mobility shifted to the automobile. The result is a hierarchy of roadway classifications that form an integrated network for automobile travel.
NH DOT Standard Specifications
Flexibility in Highway Design; US Dept. of Transportation To view all Lending Library publications, click here.

Interstate Highway *top of the hierarchy *limited access *designed for high speeds *provides largely interrupted travel over long distances *ex. Everett Turnpike
Arterial Road *next level below Interstates *moves large volumes of traffic through a town or connects one section of town with another *ex. NH 101A
Collector Road *feeds traffic to or from local roads and arterials *provides direct access to abutting properties and distributes it to or from arterials *traffic is typically going to or coming from somewhere nearby *ex. Manchester St., Nashua
Local Road *provides internal movement within residential areas for direct access to abutting property *ex. Wheeler Road, Hollis

Page updated 3/18/08