Test 2. Freeway.

A freeway is a type of highway designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. Such highways are usually divided with at least two lanes in each direction. Because traffic never crosses at-grade, there are generally no traffic lights or stop signs.

Freeways, by definition, have no cross traffic in the form of other roads or railroads. Elimination of cross traffic is typically achieved with grade separation in the form of underpasses and overpasses. In addition to sidewalks attached to roads that cross a freeway, specialized pedestrian bridges or tunnels may also be provided. These structures enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross the freeway without a long bypass to the nearest motor vehicle crossing. In many areas, travelers using low-powered modes of transportation (such as pedestrians, bicyclists and moped drivers) are banned from freeways. These users are allowed on freeways in some jurisdictions, usually where freeways too often replaced existing roads.

The word "freeway" first appeared in the mid-1930s in proposals for the improvement of the New York City parkway network. It is currently in regular use in the United States, as well as parts of Canada and Australia.

Speed limits are generally higher than on similar non-freeways, and are sometimes nonexistent. Because the high speeds reduce decision time, freeways are usually equipped with a larger number of guide signs than other roads, and the signs themselves are physically larger. In major cities, guide signs are often mounted on overpasses or overhead gantries so that drivers can see where each lane goes.

In most areas, there are public rest areas or service areas on freeways, as well as emergency phones on the shoulder at regular intervals.

Freeways reduced travel times and accident rates, though the higher speeds have increased the severity and death rates of the collisions.

Freeways have been heavily criticized by environmentalists, urbanists, and preservationists for the noise, pollution, and economic shifts they bring. Additionally, they have also been criticized by the driving public for the inefficiency with which they handle peak hour traffic.

at-grade intersection - пересечение на одном уровне

grade separation - пересечение в разных уровнях

underpass —тоннель; проезд под полотном железной дороги

overpass - эстакада, путепровод

gantry - сигнальный мостик

Section III.Oral Presentation:1. Maintenance

2. Construction Maintenance

The life of a road structure depends on the quality of its maintenance and minor renovation. Maintenance keeps the roadway safe, provides good driving conditions, and prolongs the life of the pavement, thus protecting the road investment. Maintenance consists of activities concerned with the condition of the pavement, shoulders, drainage, traffic facilities, and right-of-way. It includes the prompt sealing of cracks and filling of potholes to prevent water entering through the surface, the removal of trash thrown on the wayside by the traveling public, and the care of pavement markings, signs, and signals. In rigorous winter climates, substantial effort is required to remove snow and ice from the pavement, to scatter salt for snow and ice removal, and to spread sand for better traction.

In many countries an increasing share of road budgets is being allocated to rehabilitation and maintenance of existing roads, rather than new road construction.

Routine maintenance refers to activities such as grading, grass cutting, drain clearing, pothole patching, and shoulder repairs, which are performed at least yearly if not more frequently. Periodic maintenance activities are typically scheduled over periods of several years and include resurfacing and bridge repairs. Rehabilitation involves more substantial intervention to strengthen a road, repair structural defects, and restore the road to its initial condition, often after it has deteriorated to an "unmaintainable" standard. Rehabilitation sometimes also includes changes or improvements to previous characteristics, for instance, by widening, making small alignment changes, or providing footpaths.

Other maintenance activities include seasonal maintenance, such as snow clearing and flood repairs, emergency maintenance to reinstate roads after major failures, and the regular upkeep of safety features and road signs.