Bundesstraße
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Bundesstra%C3%9Fe_437.jpg/220px-Bundesstra%C3%9Fe_437.jpg)
Bundesstraße (German for "federal highway"), abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.
Germany
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Germany's Bundesstraßen network has a total length of about 40,000 km.
German Bundesstraßen are labelled with rectangular yellow signs with black numerals, as opposed to the white-on-blue markers of the
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/Stuttgart-pragsatteltunnel-2006-06-05-bigcat.jpg/220px-Stuttgart-pragsatteltunnel-2006-06-05-bigcat.jpg)
One distinguishing characteristic between German Bundesstraßen and Autobahnen is that there usually is a general 100 km/h (62 mph)
The closest equivalent in the United States would be the
Austria
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Hinweiszeichen_19.svg/100px-Hinweiszeichen_19.svg.png)
In contrast to Germany, according to a 2002 amendment of the Austrian federal road act, Bundesstraßen is the official term referring only to
Therefore, officially classified as Landesstraßen, they are still colloquially called Bundesstraßen and have retained their "B" designation (except for Vorarlberg), followed by the number and a name. They are marked by a blue square sign with white number and are per se priority roads.
Before 2002 there has been a further category of Bundesstraßen with circular yellow sign and black number that shows that this road has no fixed priority (right of way for users). A few yellow signs lived longer than 2002.
Motorway plans
Germany and Austria have plans to reconstruct and/or replace Bundesstraße as/by motorways (Autobahn), outside built-up areas, especially the important ones of 20 to 30 thousands kilometers of the ways in Germany. For Austria they have to replace another 8000 km by schnellstraße/motorways, then Schnellstraße have to be replaced by/rebuilt as motorways.
See also
External links
Media related to Bundesstraßen at Wikimedia Commons