Single carriageway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Single carriageway is the British designation for the most common type of road; one with no physical separation (central reservation) between opposing flows of traffic.

It usually has two or more marked traffic lanes, one in each direction, although narrow rural roads and residential streets may have no markings. A one-way street is, by definition, also a single-carriageway.

A road with no central reservation is a single carriageway regardless of the number of lanes of traffic in each direction.

Until 2006, the UK had one single carriageway motorway, the A6144(M). However, in 2006 it lost its motorway status.

[edit] Speed Limits

The national speed limit applies on single carriageways (unless it is in a 'built up area', or a lower limit is posted), which is as follows:

National speed limits on a single carriageways in the UK

Type of vehicle	Speed limit
Car up to 2 tonnes/motorcycle	60 mph (about 95 km/h)
Car with caravan or trailer	50 mph (about 80 km/h)
Bus or coach up to 12 m long	50 mph
Goods vehicle up to 7.5 t	50 mph
Goods vehicle over 7.5 t	40 mph (about 64 km/h)

[edit] See also

• Dual carriageway