ANATOMY OF A SAFE ROAD
Whether designing a major highway or a neighborhood street, the primary goal of roadway design is to provide a safe—and even comfortable—ride.
To achieve this, roadway engineers examine three major factors:
- Human behavior and reaction time – Do drivers have enough time to safely merge with freeway traffic before running out of road? Is the line of sight on a curve adequate to avoid a collision if there’s an obstruction in the road ahead? What measures can be employed to prevent inattentive drivers from drifting off the road?
- Quality and quantity of traffic – What’s the widest vehicle that the road must accommodate? Are bicyclists expected to share the road with motor vehicles? What pavement material and thickness are required to support the weight and volume of the expected traffic? What’s the maximum grade that a tractor trailer can safely negotiate?
- Topography and soil composition – What path would require the least amount of earthwork? What measures must be taken to prevent erosion from weakening the road’s foundation? Are there land formations that dictate the path of the road?
Lutjen engineers have the expertise to combine these factors with the principles of road design geometry, the latest information on paving materials, and a thorough knowledge of current regulations to give you roads that are safe to maneuver and comfortable to travel. |
