1. Highways in the USA

The Americans are a nation of car drivers. The distances are so large that Americans spend a lot of their time in the car. Good roads are very important so that you can get to other places quickly. This is why the Americans started to build long highways soon after the first cars were produced at the beginning of the 20th century.

About 100 years ago the first highway from San Francisco to New York City was constructed. Today there are highways all across the nation. The large highways which connect the states are called Interstate highways. The short word is just "I" and a special number, for example I-75. The whole intrerstate network is about 47,714 miles long.

2. The system of the interstate highways

The number system of the interstates is quite easy to understand. Highways that lead from the west to the east always have an even number. I-8 for example runs along the Mexican border and I-94 runs along the Canadian border. All the highways in north-south direction carry odd numbers, from I-5 along the Pacific Coast until I-95 along the Atlantic coast. The large highways have one or two numbers, the smaller ones have three numbers. Numbers that start with a 4 run around a big city.

3. Signs along the highway

Here are some signs by the side of the highway:

interstate sign
(blue, red and white)
→ tells you the highway number and in which direction you are going / exit sign
(green and white)
→ tells you when and where you can leave the highway / junction sign
(green and white)
→ tells you when you can get to a new interstate / state sign
→ tells you when you enter a new state / rest area sign
→ tells you that you can stop to have a break / food exit
→ tells you which restaurants you find at the next exit

4. Speed limits

European drivers must get used to American highways because you cannot drive as fast as in Europe. The speed limit is different. Each state can decide about the speed limit. Around big cities you are usually only allowed to go 55 mph (miles per hour). In most states you can drive at 65 miles per hour. In some states in the west where not many people live the speed limit is 70 or 75 mph. Montana is the only state without a speed limit on interstate highways.

Tasks:

1. Find out in which direction these interstate highways run: I-77: ______I-40: ______

2. Figure out how fast you can drive in kilometers per hour:

a) 55 mph: about ______kmh b) 65 mph: about ______kmh

3. Write down how you know that you get into a new state when you travel on the interstate.

______

4. Give a reason why you can drive faster in Montana than in New York State.

______