Mexican Federal Highway
| Mexican Federal Highways | |
|---|---|
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One-, two-, and three-digit shields and tollway shield | |
| System information | |
| Maintained by Secretariat of Communications and Transportation | |
| Highway names | |
| Federal Highway: | Federal Highway X (Fed. X) |
| System links | |
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Mexican Federal Highways List • Autopistas | |
Mexican Federal Highways are roads maintained and built by the federal government of Mexico, through the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (in Spanish: Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes, SCT). The Federal Highways in Mexico can be classified as high-speed roads with restricted access and low-speed roads with non-restricted access. Some Federal Highways charge a toll (cuota).
High speed with restricted-access roads
Restricted-access roads, known as Autopistas or Supercarreteras, are limited-access expressways with controlled points of access interchanges. Access to these roads is generally prohibited for pedestrians and animal-drawn vehicles, as fences are located at the side of the road for most of the length. Autopistas are divided highways with 4 or more lanes. Supercarreteras are always two-lane highways and are most commonly found in mountain areas. The maximum speed limit is 110 km/h (70 mph) for cars and 95 km/h (60 mph) for buses and trucks. In some cases, the maximum speed can be 120 km/h (75 mph).
Low speed with non-restricted-access roads
Low-speed/non-restricted-access roads, known as Autopistas or Carreteras, comprise the majority of the road network. Autopistas are divided highways with 4 or more lanes. Most of these Autopistas were single-carriageway roads converted into dual carriageway by building an adjacent road body next to the existing one. Carreteras are free and in most cases two-lane highways that cover almost all of Mexico. These roads have interchanges at major roads, but most intersections are at grade. The maximum speed limit is 100 km/h (60 mph) for cars and 95 km/h (60 mph) for buses and trucks.
Numbering system
North-south highways are assigned odd numbers, while east-west highway are identified by even numbers. The start of the numbering system is located in the northwest of the country.
Exceptions to the numbering system
There are two exceptions to the numbering system:
- Federal Highway 14 from Uruapan, Michoacán to Morelia, Michoacán, located in the midwest of the country.
- Several roads with letter designations: the Autopista Arco Norte (M40D), Mexican Federal Highway I-20D (Libramiento de Irapuato), and Mexican Federal Highway S30 (Libramiento Norponiente de Saltillo, signed as 40D)