A highway is a major road designed for longer-distance travel between communities, typically under provincial jurisdiction. Highways vary from two-lane rural roads to multi-lane freeways with controlled access. Provincial governments build, maintain, and operate most highways through transportation ministries, while some federally-significant routes (like portions of the Trans-Canada Highway) receive federal funding. Highways are numbered and classified by function: arterial highways carry through traffic, collector highways connect to local roads, and freeways/expressways provide high-speed travel with limited access. Highway decisions significantly impact municipalities: route alignments affect development patterns, interchanges provide economic development opportunities, and highway maintenance standards affect local quality of life. While municipalities don't control provincial highways, they advocate for improvements benefiting their communities and must plan local road networks that connect effectively with provincial routes.