Citation

Hoban CJ. Transp. Res. Rec. 1986; 1055: 8-16.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1986, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Two-lane roads make up the bulk of the rural road system in Australia and carry most of the travel between major cities. A number of developments in the geometric design of these roads are discussed, with particular reference to the contributions made by the Australian Road Research Board. Some of the major changes have been a greater emphasis on alignment consistency, the growing use of auxiliary lanes, and the move toward partial sealing of shoulders. Some details of new design guidelines are presented. Partial shoulder sealing was introduced primarily to reduce maintenance costs but has since been found to have safety and operational benefits. A survey of shoulder use has provided information on the probability of meeting stopped vehicles on the roadside and given some recommendations on shoulder and rest area design. Traffic simulation has been used to evaluate alternative road improvement strategies, including alignment changes and the use of auxiliary lanes. The TRARR simulation model is now being used by several state road authorities for planning and investigation studies. A consideration of accidents and road geometry is an underlying theme of the research on all of these topics.

Language: en

Keywords

ROADS AND STREETS; TRANSPORTATION - Research; URBAN PLANNING - Australia