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"autoroutes" vs "voies rapides"

English translation: freeway (autoroute) highway (voie rapide)

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

French term or phrase:	autoroute vs voie rapide
English translation:	freeway (autoroute) highway (voie rapide)
Entered by:	Elena Robert

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15:34 May 30, 2006

French to English translations [PRO]
Transport / Transportation / Shipping

French term or phrase: "autoroutes" vs "voies rapides"

I am not sure about the difference between these two terms in French and, hence, am not sure about their translation into American English. Thanks in advance to all those who can clarify it for me.

Elena Robert KudoZ activity Questions: 524 (none open) (50 closed without grading) Answers: 503 France
Local time: 02:45

freeway (autoroute) expressway (voie rapide)

Explanation:
This would be my take. The former being long distance roads and the latter for urban areas. (Though this interpretation is is from a UK English speaker rather than a US one.)

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Note added at 30 mins (2006-05-30 16:05:34 GMT)
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This website might help.

http://www.gbcnet.com/ushighways/glossary.html

Selected response from:

John Peterson
Local time: 01:45

Grading comment

Many thanks to all. I understand that there is no strict correspondence between French and American road systems, but I have chosen this answer.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

3 +5

freeway (autoroute) expressway (voie rapide)

John Peterson

4-lane highway/substandard 4-lane highway

MatthewLaSon

'motorway' vs 'dual carriageway'

Lucy-Jane Michel

limited access highway

Joshua Wolfe

highway / express road

Francis MARC

Answers

7 mins confidence:

highway / express road

Explanation:
=

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Note added at 8 mins (2006-05-30 15:43:45 GMT)
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Autoroute / Highway. CHAMBERY. GENEVE. A 41. Autoroute / Highway. GRENOBLE. Sortie / Exit. 24.A. CROLLES. BERNIN. Sortie / Exit ...
www.memscap.com/images/Acces-Map-Bernin.pdf
Format de fichier: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Version HTML
Sur la voie rapide direction Elne, prendre la sortie n° 4 et suivre direction Montescot- ... Direction Elne, Argeles sur Mer. On the express way ...
www.eurilogic.fr/fr/pdf/plan_montescot.pdf - Pages similaires

A B&B In Montreal - Montreal, CanadaDecarie Express way (Aut 15 South) is the fastest way to get there from P ... Nous sommes situes dans un secteur residentiel, pres de la voie rapide Decarie ...
www.hostelz.com/l/fr/hotel/28352-A-B&B-In-Montreal - 18k -

Francis MARC
Local time: 03:45
Native speaker of:

French
PRO pts in category: 58

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +5

freeway (autoroute) expressway (voie rapide)

John Peterson
Local time: 01:45
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 20

Grading comment

Many thanks to all. I understand that there is no strict correspondence between French and American road systems, but I have chosen this answer.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Finn Mayhall

1 min

-> Thanks

agree

Joy Daniel: this works in the US, too, or "highway" could replace expressway// RE writeaway, I agree the terms are a bit interchangeable but still would see "freeway" generally understood as the "higher level" of road (faster, longer, wider, etc.)

8 mins

-> Thanks

neutral

xxxCMJ_Trans: I would avoid "freeway" because in France they are toll roads.....

14 mins

-> Agree it's tricky, but free doesn't relate to the absence of charges.

neutral

writeaway: freeways are highways in California. highway is the term generally used/ http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep10/NHS/index.html /interstate highways correspond more to autoroutes. most major autoroutes lead into and out of France as well.

28 mins

-> I did consider "highway" but, rightly or wrongly, decided against it (e.g. some highways - or sections of highways - might not be up to what we'd call "motorway" (=autoroute) standards).

neutral

Dr Sue Levy: had this conversation just last week with mixed English speaking group - my New Yorker friend says autoroute is turnpike, freeway only in CA.

1 hr

-> Doesn't get any easier!

agree

Michael Barnett: Highway is generic, freeway is generally a multi-lane divided highway. Expressway is generally a multi-lane divided highway through an urban centre.

2 hrs

-> Thanks

agree

FIROOZEH FARHANG

3 hrs

-> Thanks

agree

gad

10 hrs

-> Thanks

agree

Christopher RH: the trouble is not all autoroutes are toll-paying...

1 day4 hrs

-> Thanks

disagree

MatthewLaSon: I am going to disagree because others may view this question and believe this answer to be correct. Just because a question is closed does not mean that one should refrain from disagreeing/agreeing and offering their own translation. I just want to help.

3 days9 hrs

-> Thanks - posthumous contributions (especially without references) always welcome ;-)/"Disagrees" are fine; just might be better to give them while the question was still live.

2 hrs confidence:

autoroute limited access highway

Explanation:
This is complicated. There are many, many terms for fast roads. The general term is highway but this merely means a road with a lot of traffic, where cars travel quickly. In North America, words like turnpike, expressway, interstate, freeway, superhighway do not have different meanings, they are regional variants of the same concept.

The term expressway shares with the ones I just listed the limited access aspect. (By this is meant entrance and exit ramps, no traffic signals, cross traffic on viaducts or underpasses) As long as voie rapide means an sub/urban road with travel uninterrupted by traffic signals, then expressway is probably correct.

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Note added at 2 hrs (2006-05-30 18:14:46 GMT)
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to make it clearer: I propose
limited access highway for autoroute
expressway for voie rapide

Joshua Wolfe
Local time: 20:45
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English

18 hrs confidence:

'motorway' vs 'dual carriageway'

Explanation:
This is the difference between the two terms in French and, just for the record in case it can help the British English translation:

British English would be Motorway vs. Dual carriageway

In France, the difference is that 'autoroutes' are tolled and are generally three lanes wide in each direction, 'voies rapides' are not and tend to be only two lanes wide. In Brittany, all roads are toll-free, and so there are no official 'autoroutes' and all the main axes are generally two-laned.

Lucy-Jane Michel
France
Local time: 02:45
Native speaker of: English

31 days confidence:

autoroute vs. voie rapide 4-lane highway/substandard 4-lane highway

Explanation:
Hello,

An "autoroute" is more or less a "4-lane highway" in US English.

A "voie rapide" is an "autoroute" which may not conform to the "normes autoroutières" as all "autoroutes" are required in France.

*2 voies X 2 voies * seems to be the standard for both "autoroutes" and "voies rapides.

Reference: http://franceautoroutes.free.fr/reseau.php
Reference: http://www.a88.info/lexique/index.html

MatthewLaSon
Local time: 20:45
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 35

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Changes made by editors

May 30, 2006 - Changes made by writeaway:
Field	Tech/Engineering => Other

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"autoroutes" vs "voies rapides"

English translation: freeway (autoroute) highway (voie rapide)

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"autoroutes" vs "voies rapides"

English translation: freeway (autoroute) highway (voie rapide)

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KudoZ™ translation helpThe KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

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The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.