'controlled-access' originates from the combination of 'control' and 'access', where 'control' meant 'to regulate or manage' and 'access' meant 'the means of approaching or entering a place'.

'controlled-access' evolved from the need to describe roads or areas with restricted entry, becoming a common term in urban planning and transportation.

Initially, it referred to any regulated entry, but now it is primarily used in the context of roads and highways.