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Is the word rodovia the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?

No

While the literal definition of "rodovia" (a major highway or road) is the same in both varieties, there is a significant difference in typical usage. In Brazil, "rodovia" is the standard, everyday term used to refer to highways and large roads. In Portugal, while the word is understood, it is rarely used in conversation; instead, people almost exclusively use "autoestrada" for motorways/expressways or simply "estrada" for general roads. Additionally, the surrounding vocabulary (such as verbs for "to take" or "to renovate") differs significantly.

Brazilian Portuguese

  1. A rodovia está interditada por causa da chuva. (The highway is closed due to rain.)
  2. Vamos pegar a rodovia para chegar mais rápido. (We'll take the highway to get there faster.)
  3. O acidente na rodovia causou um grande congestionamento. (The accident on the highway caused a large traffic jam.)
  4. Essa rodovia é muito perigosa à noite. (This highway is very dangerous at night.)
  5. A prefeitura vai reformar a rodovia principal. (The city hall will renovate the main highway.)

European Portuguese

  1. A autoestrada está cortada devido à chuva. (The motorway is blocked due to rain.)
  2. Vamos apanhar a autoestrada para chegar mais depressa. (We'll take the motorway to get there faster.)
  3. O acidente na autoestrada causou um enorme congestionamento. (The accident on the motorway caused a huge traffic jam.)
  4. Esta estrada é muito perigosa à noite. (This road is very dangerous at night.)
  5. A câmara vai renovar a estrada principal. (The council will renovate the main road.)