Portmanteau of "street" (or "stroad") and "motorway". A strotorway is a multi-lane urban freeway oficially designated as a motorway (that is no mopeds), which, like a non-motor stroad, has too many tightly spaced exits, onramps, offramps, and interchanges. This leads to excessively many lane changes, making a strotorway more dangerous than a motorroad, just like a stroad. Strotorway placement in close vicinity of downtown, if not right in the middle, creates abnormal levels of noise and pollution, and creates an obstacle for vehicles not allowed on them. The speed limit, whatever it may be, is vehemently disobeyed, moreso than on a stroad, with the exception of slow trucks. Traffic jams are very common on strotorways, to the extent that it may actually be faster to bike, although unlike on stroads, traffic jams on strotorway are typically moving at faster than walking pace. Strotorways are often ringroads or parts of originally planned ring roads, however a particular city may be pursuing a different urban freeway system topology. In hindsight, strotoways are seen as a planning mistake, absence of planning, or a relic of olden times. Just like with stroads, the solution is to either turn strotorways into proper motorroads, or streets.
Jižní spojka in Prague is a prime example of a strotorway, whereas Magistrála is a stroad. A100 in Berlin is also a strotorway, whereas A10 around Berlin isn't quite a strotorway. M25 around London has some strotorway qualities, particularly many lanes and traffic jams. As for the USA, most intra-city Interstates are basically strotorways.
by j637man February 03, 2024