Roads in Great Nortend
Roads, or public highways, are an indispensable part of the Nortan civil infrastructure. Though Great Nortend relies less heavily on its road network for long-distance travel, it is crucial for short to medium distance journeys. Motor vehicles make only a small fraction of the total number of vehicles registered in Great Nortend, with various forms of horse-drawn waggon, cart or carriage forming the bulk of private vehicular registrations in the country.
Types of highway
There are four main types of public highway in Great Nortend, terms which generally relate to the highway's construction, maximum speed and purpose.
Streets
A street is defined by law to mean any public highway in a built-up area with buildings on either side. Streets are almost always paved or pitched with cobblestones, and have a maximum theoretical speed limit of 30 m.p.h. Streets are maintained by either parishes in rural areas, or by town or city councils and corporations.
Roads
A road is a special form of highway which is characterised by being a relatively straight and flat thoroughfare in the countryside usually linking major towns. They are not usually paved or pitched, and most roads indeed are gravel roads. There is a maximum theoretical speed limit of 60 m.p.h. Most roads are maintained by the towns they link, but some are maintained by the parishes wherein they pass.
Lanes
A lane, or country lane, is a narrow public highway in the countryside, often highly meandering and curving to suit the geography. Lanes are mostly always dirt roads, though some are gravelled. Maintenance of dirt lanes is one of the largest responsibilities of parish vestries, who must continually repair roads to prevent the formation of ruts and potholes.
Driveway
A driveway is a road which is designated as one which a drover may use when driving a flock of livestock, and emanate out from market towns and cities. They normally have a narrow gravelled surface and edged with wide verges of grass, called the long acre, for the use the driven flock. Driveways are usually up to 40 ft wide. Driveways are usually marked with either stones or signs, and have a low maximum theoretical speed of 30 m.p.h.
Turnpikes
A turnpike is a toll road which usually provides a wide, smooth and gravelled road surface. The most significant turnpikes are the numerous turnpikes through the Monmorians, which charge fees for passage through nearly all of the easily navigable passes. Historically turnpikes were common through Great Nortend, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries, however with the increase in rail transport, they have gradually lost their profitability and have been turned into public highways.