Roads and bridges are the backbone of every city in Cities: Skylines II. Roads connect your districts, guide traffic, and give homes, shops, and services the access they need. Bridges carry those roads across water, valleys, and other gaps. The game offers everything from narrow alleys and gravel lanes to wide highways and long-span bridges, and each one suits a different job in your city.
Road class
Small Roads
Alley
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 30 km/h / 25 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡3,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡337/km
Angled Parking Alley
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 30 km/h / 25 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡487/km
Gravel One-Way Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 lane; one way
- Speed Limit
- 30 km/h / 25 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡2,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡262/km
Gravel Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 30 km/h / 25 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡2,500/km
- Upkeep
- ₡412/km
Medium Quay (Two-Way Road)
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 roadway lane; two way
- Speed Limit
- 20 km/h
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡500/km
One-Lane One-Way Angled Parking Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 lane; one way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡3,250/km
- Upkeep
- ₡375/km
One-Lane One-Way Perpendicular Parking Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 lane; one way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡3,250/km
- Upkeep
- ₡375/km
One-Lane One-Way Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 lane; one way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡3,250/km
- Upkeep
- ₡375/km
One-Way Alley
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 lane; one way
- Speed Limit
- 30 km/h / 25 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡2,250/km
- Upkeep
- ₡225/km
One-Way Angled Parking Alley
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 lane; one way
- Speed Limit
- 30 km/h / 25 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡3,250/km
- Upkeep
- ₡375/km
One-Way Perpendicular Parking Alley
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 lane; one way
- Speed Limit
- 30 km/h / 25 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡3,250/km
- Upkeep
- ₡375/km
Pedestrian Street
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 vehicle lane for service and delivery traffic (direction not stated); pedestrian access in both directions
- Speed Limit
- 20 km/h
- Build Cost
- ₡6,500/km
- Upkeep
- ₡262/km
Perpendicular Parking Alley
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 30 km/h / 25 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡487/km
Small Pedestrian Street
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 service/delivery vehicle lane, one way; pedestrian access in both directions
- Speed Limit
- 20 km/h
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡188/km
Three-Lane Asymmetric Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 3 lanes total: 2 one way and 1 the other
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,750/km
- Upkeep
- ₡600/km
Three-Lane One-Way Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 3 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,750/km
- Upkeep
- ₡600/km
Two-Lane Angled Parking Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡487/km
Two-Lane Divided Angled Parking Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡487/km
Two-Lane Divided Perpendicular Parking Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡487/km
Two-Lane One-Way Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡487/km
Two-Lane Perpendicular Parking Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡487/km
Two-Lane Road
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡487/km
Two-Lane Truss Arch Bridge
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡13,000/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡1,910/km (bridge)
Two-Lane Wooden Covered Bridge
- Road Class
- Small Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 30 km/h / 25 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡8,500/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡1,230/km (bridge)
Road class
Medium Roads
Five-Lane Asymmetric Road
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 5 lanes total: 3 one way and 2 the other
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡6,250/km
- Upkeep
- ₡825/km
Five-Lane One-Way Road
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 5 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡6,250/km
- Upkeep
- ₡825/km
Four-Lane Angled Parking Road
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡5,500/km
- Upkeep
- ₡712/km
Four-Lane Asymmetric Road
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes total: 3 one way and 1 the other
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡5,500/km
- Upkeep
- ₡712/km
Four-Lane Divided Road
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡5,500/km
- Upkeep
- ₡712/km
Four-Lane One-Way Road
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡5,500/km
- Upkeep
- ₡712/km
Four-Lane Perpendicular Parking Road
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡5,500/km
- Upkeep
- ₡712/km
Four-Lane Road
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡5,500/km
- Upkeep
- ₡712/km
Four-Lane Tied Arch Bridge
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 40 km/h / 30 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡16,500/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡2,430/km (bridge)
Grand Bridge
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 80 km/h / 55 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡14,000/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡2,060/km (bridge)
Wide Quay (Four-Lane Road)
- Road Class
- Medium Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡5,500/km
- Upkeep
- ₡750/km
Road class
Large Roads
Eight-Lane Divided Cable-Stayed Bridge
- Road Class
- Large Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 8 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 60 km/h / 45 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡27,500/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡4,080/km (bridge)
Eight-Lane Divided Road
- Road Class
- Large Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 8 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 60 km/h / 45 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡8,500/km
- Upkeep
- ₡1,160/km
Seven-Lane Asymmetric Road (5+2)
- Road Class
- Large Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 7 lanes total: 5 one way and 2 the other
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡7,750/km
- Upkeep
- ₡1,050/km
Seven-Lane Asymmetric Road (4+3)
- Road Class
- Large Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 7 lanes total: 4 one way and 3 the other
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡7,750/km
- Upkeep
- ₡1,050/km
Seven-Lane One-Way Road
- Road Class
- Large Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 7 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡7,750/km
- Upkeep
- ₡1,050/km
Six-Lane Asymmetric Road
- Road Class
- Large Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 6 lanes total: 4 one way and 2 the other
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡7,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡938/km
Six-Lane Divided Extradosed Bridge
- Road Class
- Large Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 6 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 60 km/h / 45 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡23,000/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡3,410/km (bridge)
Six-Lane Divided Road
- Road Class
- Large Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 6 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 60 km/h / 45 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡7,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡938/km
Six-Lane One-Way Road
- Road Class
- Large Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 6 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡7,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡938/km
Six-Lane Road
- Road Class
- Large Roads
- Lanes and Direction
- 6 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 50 km/h / 35 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡7,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡938/km
Road class
Highways
Five-Lane Asymmetric Highway
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 5 lanes total: 3 one way and 2 the other
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡5,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡750/km
Five-Lane Highway One-Way Suspension Bridge
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 5 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡19,500/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡2,920/km (bridge)
Five-Lane One-Way Highway
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 5 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 120 km/h / 70 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡5,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡750/km
Four-Lane Asymmetric Highway
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes total: 3 one way and 1 the other
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡600/km
Four-Lane Double Train Track Double-Decked Extradosed Bridge
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 road lanes, two way on the upper deck; double-track rail below
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡14,000/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡2,125/km (bridge)
Four-Lane Highway One-Way Suspension Bridge
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡16,500/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡2,470/km (bridge)
Four-Lane One-Way Highway
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 120 km/h / 70 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡600/km
Four-Lane Two-Way Highway
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 4 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡4,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡600/km
One-Lane One-Way Highway
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 1 lane; one way
- Speed Limit
- 80 km/h / 55 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡1,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡150/km
Three-Lane Highway One-Way Suspension Bridge
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 3 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡13,500/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡2,020/km (bridge)
Three-Lane One-Way Highway
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 3 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 120 km/h / 70 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡3,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡450/km
Three-Lane Two-Way Highway
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 3 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡3,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡450/km
Two-Lane Highway One-Way Suspension Bridge
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡10,500/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡1,570/km (bridge)
Two-Lane Highway Truss Arch Bridge
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡10,500/km (bridge)
- Upkeep
- ₡1,570/km (bridge)
Two-Lane One-Way Highway
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; one way
- Speed Limit
- 120 km/h / 70 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡2,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡300/km
Two-Lane Two-Way Highway
- Road Class
- Highways
- Lanes and Direction
- 2 lanes; two way
- Speed Limit
- 100 km/h / 65 mph
- Build Cost
- ₡2,000/km
- Upkeep
- ₡300/km
What Roads and Bridges Do in Cities: Skylines II
Every road has a job, and a handful of details decide what that job is: how many lanes it has, which way traffic flows, whether there's parking along it, whether it has a median down the middle, and how a bridge is built. Together, those choices set how the road is meant to be used.
The Roads menu sorts everything into four groups: Small Roads, Medium Roads, Large Roads, and Highways. The first three follow lane count, with Small Roads holding one to three lanes, Medium Roads four or five, and Large Roads six to eight. Highways get their own group because they're built for speed, and bridges sit alongside the roads in these same groups.
Speed limits vary a lot, too. Pedestrian streets and quays are the slowest, while highways are the fastest. The Europe and North America themes use different speed values, so the limit you see depends on the theme you're playing.
How to Unlock and Build Roads
Most road options unlock as your city grows, so the full menu fills in over time. You pick a road from its group in the Roads menu and draw it onto the map. Each step can be cancelled with the right mouse button, and roads you no longer want can be removed with the Bulldoze tool.
Road building is faster and more flexible than in the first game. When a new road crosses an existing one, the game creates an intersection on its own. Grid mode lays out city blocks in just a few clicks, and parallel mode builds two roads, such as highways, side by side at a distance you set. The Replace tool changes roads you've already built.
Road Construction Costs and Upkeep
Building a road costs money by length, so a longer stretch costs more, and raised or tunnel sections cost more than the same road at ground level. Upkeep is a separate, ongoing cost, also charged per kilometer, for keeping the road in place.
The figures are estimates, and the final price can shift with where you place a road and the shape of its curves. Keep that in mind when you plan a budget. Bridges cost far more per kilometer than ordinary roads. The cheapest options are the single-lane highway and the gravel roads, while the big multi-lane bridges sit at the top, several times the price of a standard two-lane road.
One-Way, Asymmetric, and Divided Roads
Direction is the first thing to pick. One-way roads send all their traffic one way, while two-way roads carry it both ways. That control makes one-way roads useful from small city streets to rural routes. Divided roads add a median between the two directions, so opposing traffic stays apart.
Asymmetric roads split their lanes unevenly between the two directions. A 3-plus-1 road gives three lanes one way and one the other, which suits a route with heavy traffic in one direction. Those extra lanes also help at busy intersections, where they can serve as turn lanes.
Parking Roads and Alleys
Parking roads put parking spaces right beside the traffic lanes, so drivers can park at the curb without a separate lot. Some have spaces set perpendicular to the road and others have angled spaces, and each type holds far more parking than its regular counterpart. Parking alleys are the narrow version. They have no sidewalks and suit small spots behind shops or tucked into the back of a block, and both two-way and one-way versions exist.
Parking also shapes how citizens get around. When they plan trips, they weigh how much parking is available, and the Roads infoview shows both the supply and how much of it is in use. If the numbers run low, you can add more parking roads or parking lots.
Highways, Ramps, and Zoning
Highways are built to move traffic over longer distances, and they never zone. That means no homes or shops grow up along their sides. Ground-level roads, by contrast, zone by default, so buildings can grow along them. You can remove zoning from either side of those roads when you want a clear strip.
Ramps are how traffic gets on and off a highway. To build one, you start with a stretch of highway that has one extra lane and connect that lane to a single-lane highway. The ramp gets proper acceleration and deceleration lanes that merge into the main road. The asymmetric highways suit this job well, since their extra lane helps with ramp merges and slowing down.
Bridge Types and Span Limits
Every bridge type uses a different support structure, and that structure shapes both how it looks and how far it can reach. Cable-stayed bridges fan cables out from upright towers, suspension bridges hang the deck from cables and vertical hangers, and arch bridges rely on arches and trusses. The covered bridge gets its look from a wooden frame and roof.
Span is the other key limit, meaning the longest gap a single bridge can cross. The Grand Bridge has the longest main span, the highway suspension bridges come next, and the covered wooden bridge has the shortest. Most of the other bridges share the same middle span. Bridges also have an elevation range, and the Grand Bridge can't be raised as high as the others.
The double-deck bridge is a combined crossing, with a two-way four-lane road on the upper deck and a double train track below. It's a more compact and cheaper choice than building a highway bridge and a rail bridge separately. It came in the free Quays & Piers update.
Cut Roads, Tunnels, and Elevated Roads
Roads can follow the ground, dig into it, or rise above it, and the elevation setting controls which one you get. Negative values create a cut road that runs down into the terrain, and deeper settings turn it into a tunnel. Positive values lift the road up, so it can pass over roads running beneath it.
Raised and tunnel versions cost more than the ground-level road, and each level of elevation adds its own surcharge. The road guides show the slope as a number, so you can check how steep a climb will be before you build it. Stacking roads helps when space is tight, such as when you add a highway over part of an existing city.
Gravel Roads, Pedestrian Streets, and Quays
Gravel roads are unpaved, and they suit rural areas and the outskirts of a city. The one-way gravel road is there when you want to direct traffic in one direction on a rural route.
Pedestrian streets put walkers first. Motor traffic is limited to service vehicles and delivery trucks that bring goods to local businesses. The small pedestrian street is one way for those vehicles, so you'll need to give them a return route.
Quays are built for waterfronts. They form a retaining wall along the water's edge, placed on the lower side wherever the land drops, even slightly. Regular roads only build retaining walls for significant elevation changes, so quays make lining a shore much easier. They carry two-way traffic and pedestrians, and they can reach into the water as jetties.
Quays don't need water to work, so you can also use them to build terraces on a slope. Just keep at least a 10-meter height difference between terraces.
Road Upgrades: Bus Lanes, Sidewalks, and Trees
Upgrades change a road you've already built without turning it into a separate road. Bicycle lanes, bus lanes, sidewalks, and trees all work this way. Bus lanes and tram tracks are added with the network tools, while the Replace tool handles sidewalks, trees, and grass, since no road comes with grass or trees built in.
Wider sidewalks give walkers more room, but they remove roadside parking. Trees on sidewalks help control noise in residential areas and make the street greener, and sound barriers on highways cut the noise from fast traffic. You can also place trees in the median where the road allows it, pick their age with the Roadside Tree Selector, and choose which side of the road gets them. To remove a decoration, right-click while hovering over it.
Traffic Routes and Road Condition
Traffic routes show where vehicles on a road are headed. Select a vehicle, pedestrian, road, or building, then turn on Toggle Traffic Routes in the Selected Info Panel. Routes are color-coded by traffic type, and wider lines mean heavier traffic, so your busiest paths stand out at a glance.
Roads also need care after they're built. The Road Maintenance Depot sends vehicles out to keep roads in good shape, and snowplows clear snow in winter. The Roads infoview colors each road from green for good condition to red for poor, and poor roads or heavy snow can slow traffic down.
Road condition also affects how often accidents happen. A crash halts traffic until police secure the site, and then road maintenance vehicles clear away the debris so traffic can flow safely again.
FAQ
Can I make a road only for buses?
Yes. The network tools let you build dedicated roads that only buses and service vehicles can use, so public transport can stay off regular traffic lanes. Tram tracks can also be built on their own, bypassing road traffic altogether.
How do I connect a highway to a regular road?
The game includes premade intersections, including complex highway junctions, plus transition pieces that sit between a highway and a regular road. You can place them in empty ground or over existing roads, and they connect to your network automatically. If you'd rather design the junction yourself, you can build your own instead.
How do roundabouts work with my roads?
You place a roundabout on an existing intersection and pick the size you want. The roundabout takes on the lane setup of the roads connected to it and adjusts its lanes so every exit works. Vehicles follow roundabout traffic rules as they enter and leave, and decorative designs like striped or mosaic roundabouts can add color.
Why do my quays snap to the shoreline?
Snap to shoreline is switched on by default, which holds quays at a steady height above the water and against its edge. You can still extend quays into the water while it's on, and quays keep a minimum distance from the water so they don't flood. If you want full control over where and how high a quay sits, turn the option off, and the quay will follow the terrain once it's out of the water.
