beltway
Urban orbital highway
A beltway is a highway that encircles a city, allowing traffic to bypass the urban core: Take the beltway to avoid downtown congestion.
The word is American, with ring road being the British equivalent.
Most major American cities have beltways, though they go by various names—the 405 in Los Angeles, I-285 in Atlanta. (Capitalized Beltway refers specifically to Washington, D.C.)
Route that skirts obstacles
- perimeterShape's outer edge length
- loopCurve closing on itself
- interstateBetween political regions
- expresswayLimited-access highway
freeway · corridor · circumferential · orbital · artery · thoroughfare · turnpike · motorway
Complete mutual obstruction
- bottleneckConstriction limiting throughput
- rush hourBusiest commuting period
- bumper-to-bumperVehicles packed without gaps
- crawlingMoving on hands, knees
standstill · traffic jam · snarl · tailback · choke point · stalled · slow-moving · logjam
Extend in disorderly fashion
- suburbOutlying residential district
- commuterOne who travels regularly
- developmentProgress toward maturity
- zoningSectioning areas by use
greenbelt · land use · density · growth · bedroom community · exurb · satellite town · transit
bypass
Route that skirts obstacles
- perimeterShape's outer edge length
- loopCurve closing on itself
- interstateBetween political regions
expressway · freeway · corridor · circumferential · orbital · artery · thoroughfare · turnpike · motorway · interchange
gridlock
Complete mutual obstruction
- bottleneckConstriction limiting throughput
- rush hourBusiest commuting period
- bumper-to-bumperVehicles packed without gaps
crawling · standstill · traffic jam · snarl · tailback · choke point · stalled · slow-moving · logjam · commute
sprawl
Extend in disorderly fashion
- suburbOutlying residential district
- commuterOne who travels regularly
- developmentProgress toward maturity
zoning · greenbelt · land use · density · growth · bedroom community · exurb · satellite town · transit · park-and-ride
- highwayshighway, highways, freeway, freeways, expressway
- carreterascalle, avenida, via, paseo, provincial
- alternate routesbypass, detour, alternate route, reroute, diversion
- circular routesloop, circuit, ring road, orbit, lap
- expresswaysexpressway, freeway, highway, interstate, motorway
- roadshighway, highways, road, freeway, roads
beltwayMain Street
Town's central thoroughfare
heartland · flyover country · grass roots · small-town America · rural America