turnpike

turnpike, road paid for partly or wholly by fees collected from travelers at tollgates. It derives its name from the hinged bar that prevented passage through such a gate until the toll was paid. See also road.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Modern Highway System
• Construction and Traffic in the Early Nineteenth Century
• Early Turnpikes in America
• Development of Turnpike Roads
• Bibliography

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