Road

A road is a transportation route used by vehicles, pedestrians, and sometimes cyclists to move between places.

A road is a transportation route used by vehicles, pedestrians, and sometimes cyclists to move between places. In Canada, roads form the backbone of surface transportation and include highways, arterial roads, rural highways, and local roads within a large publicly owned network. Roads are a core part of Canadian infrastructure, essential to national trade, regional connectivity, and daily mobility in both urban and rural areas.

Definition and function

A road is a land-based route designed for travel by vehicles and, in many places, pedestrians and cyclists. In infrastructure terms, roads connect communities, support freight movement, and link local streets to regional and national transport networks.

Road network in Canada

Canada has a very large public road system, with more than 1 million kilometres of publicly owned roads in 2018. The network is concentrated in the southern parts of the country and is central to domestic mobility and trade.

National Highway System

The National Highway System is Canada’s strategic highway network and includes over 38,000 kilometres of key routes. It includes core, feeder, and northern/remote routes and is mainly owned and operated by provincial and territorial governments.

Condition and asset management

Statistics Canada’s infrastructure surveys track the stock, condition, and management of roads and bridges. The data indicate that road conditions were broadly stable between 2018 and 2020, while road infrastructure represented a major share of Canada’s public asset value.