 When referring to a road encircling a capital city, the term "beltway" can also have a political connotation, as in the American term "Inside the Beltway", derived metonymically from the Capital Beltway encircling Washington, D.C.Most orbital motorways (or beltways) are purpose-built major highways around a town or city, typically without either signals or road or railroad crossings.In the United States, beltways are commonly parts of the Interstate Highway System.