List of highways in Portugal

In Portugal, the motorway network forms a separate type of road. They form the backbone of the Portuguese road network.

Features

As the highways in Germany, the motorways in Portugal have a numbering system that starts with an "A" and which is followed by a number. The signage is blue with white letters and structurally they always consist of two separate carriageways with at least two lanes in each direction and a hard shoulder. The emergency lane is separated by a solid white line on the right lane. The center strip has to separate the carriageways either metallic crash barriers, concrete walls or wide V- shaped trenches. The latter facilitate later Removing the number of lanes if the traffic volume requires it. The operators of motorway concessions are contractually obliged with a mean daily traffic volume of 35,000 vehicles on the highways each build three lanes twice, at 60,000 vehicles / day twice per four lanes.

Toll motorways

In Portugal, are now only toll road highways. The toll is collected mostly fixed tolls and depends on route length with tickets at driveway in the motorway network. Operators are mostly private companies, such as the incumbent and former state company Brisa.

In order to promote a rapid expansion of the network and with regard to limited public funds, the model of SCUT motorways in Portugal was introduced under the government of António Guterres. " SCUT " stands for sem custo ao Utilizador to German " without the user's expense ." The state awarded 30-year concessions on public tenders to private consortia and practice regular then a kind of " virtual toll " for any vehicle that uses the distance to the operator. All highways called SCUT or with the operator Estrada de Portugal (public national highway department ) were free for their users. SCUT Autobahen were the A22, A23, A24 and A25 .. 2011 renounced the government for reasons of cost to the concept, so that since then on these motorways tolls are levied. This is not levied on tickets, but an automatic license plate recognition. The billing is done via pre-paid models, on- board units or subsequently in cash. Cash is of particular interest to tourists with rental car without on -board unit. The toll can be paid for up to five days after the ride in all Correios postal stations. For the indication of the mark is sufficient.

Extension

The National Transport Plan ( Plano Nacional Rodoviário 2000) provided for a completion of the motorway network for the year 2015, with about 80 % of the total length are accessible today. Furthermore, an extension of the Transport Infrastructure Plan, the aim of the new routes, such as Portalegre -A23 or -A2- Beja Sines ( new regional airport). The A4 is a 5.6 km long tunnel called Tunel do Marão, Portugal's longest road tunnel receive between Amarante and Vila Real. Since mid-2011 the construction of the tunnel rests due to financing difficulties. A resumption of construction is not expected.

A first in the history of Portuguese street forms the A21 with the operator Mafratlantico. Mafratlantico is a company governed by public law, was established by the municipality of Mafra. The first time was the planning, financing, construction and operation of a highway from a local authority and not as usual on the planning offices of the Lisbon Ministry of Transport and Public Works.

List

All yellow shaded routes are planned, under construction or only partially completed.