Hong Kong Strategic Route and Exit Number System

Strategic Route and Exit Number System
Highway marker for Route 1
A map of all Routes in Hong Kong
System information
Maintained by Transport Department
Length:	90.4 mi (145.5 km)
Formed:	2004
Highway names
Route:	Route X
System links
Hong Kong Strategic Route and Exit Number System

The Hong Kong Strategic Route and Exit Number System (Chinese: 香港主要幹線及出口編號系統) is a system adopted by the Transport Department of the Hong Kong Government to organise the major roads in the territory into Routes 1 to 10 for the convenience of drivers. When the system was first implemented in 2004, the government launched a major campaign to promote it to the public. One of the slogans was "Remember the Numbers; Make Driving Easier" (Chinese: 認路記號碼，唔使路路查).

The system comprises nine major series of roads in Hong Kong, numbered Routes 1 to 5 and 7 to 10, which can be classified into three categories: the three north-south routes, the five east-west routes and the New Territories Circular Road. The route numbers are represented as black on yellow "road-shields" on overhead roadsigns.

The system also implemented exit numbering on the aforementioned routes. The exits of each route are numbered sequentially; some exit numbers are suffixed with a letter. Exit numbers are indicated by white in black rectangular boxes on overhead and roadside signs.

There are no traffic lights on the expressways. Traffic interchange with other roads is entirely via slip roads, maximising vehicular flow and land space usage. There are some stack interchanges.

The Strategic Route System has traffic lights on only a few roads, such as Waterloo Road (Route 1) and Kwun Tong Road (Route 7).

The road surface is asphalt. The lanes are separated by white dashed lines, while unbroken white lines are used to mark the edges of the median and shoulder. The shoulder is reserved for stops due to breakdowns and emergencies, and motorists are prohibited by law from travelling on it. Lanes are numbered from right to left, with lane 1 being the closest to the median. Crash barriers, cat's eyes and rumble strips are also used to ensure road safety. Signs mark the start and end of an expressway at its entry and exit points respectively. These expressways do not have rest areas.