THE DESIGN OF THE HIGHWAY CROSS-SECTION

ANALYSIS WAS MADE OF 1,200 TO 1,300 INDIVIDUAL CROSS- SECTIONS OF PRIMARY 2-LANE RURAL HIGHWAYS SELECTED FROM 50,000 PROJECTS SUBMITTED BY STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS DURING THE 8-YEAR PERIOD 1930-38. BASED ON AVERAGES FOR 1932, 1934, AND 1936, WITH FORECASTS FOR 1938 AND 1940, A COMPOSITE PICTURE IS PRESENTED OF CURRENT TRENDS IN THE DESIGN OF THE HIGHWAY CROSS- SECTION FOR BOTH LOW-AND HIGH-TYPE ROADS. FROM THE STEEP SLOPES OF 1932, WITH SHARP ANGULAR INTERSECTIONS, THERE APPEARED IN 1934 THE FIRST INDICATIONS OF THE EFFECT ON HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE INTRODUCTION OF ROADSIDE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS. BY 1936 FLATTER AND ROUNDER SLOPES, WIDER TRAFFIC LANES AND SHOULDERS, SHALLOW GUTTERS, SIDEWALKS AND HUNDRED- FOOT RIGHT OF WAYS HAD BECOME INCREASINGLY EVIDENT. IN 1938 THE PROBABLE TRENDS FOR TOMORROW'S HIGHWAYS INDICATE THAT SAFETY, UTILITY AND APPEARANCE WILL BE ENHANCED BY THE APPLICATION OF LANDSCAPE PRINCIPLES IN HIGHWAY CROSS-SECTION DEVELOPMENT. A BALANCED RELATIONSHIP MAY BE EXPECTED AMONG THE THREE DIVISIONS OF THE HIGHWAY CROSS-SECTION: THE TRAFFIC AREA, THE ROADSIDE (PUBLIC) AREA, AND THE ADJACENT PRIVATE LANDS. NEW ROAD UNDERTAKINGS WILL TAKE CAREFUL ACCOUNT OF PRESENT AND PROBABLE FUTURE USES OF EACH PART OF THE HIGHWAY CROSS-SECTION SO THAT THE BEST APPEARING ROAD WILL BE THE SAFEST, AND THE SAFEST ROAD ATTRACTIVE IN APPEARANCE. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbproceedings/17/17Pt1-018.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Vol 17, ParT I, PP 255-268, 14 FIG. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Simonson, W H
  • Mack, W W
• Publication Date: 1938

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Monograph Title: Proceedings of the Seventeenth Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board Held at Washington, D.C. November 30, December 1, 2, 3, 1937. Part I
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Proceedings
  • Volume: 17
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cross sections; Highway design; Primary highways; Right of way (Land); Road construction; Road shoulders; Roadside improvement; Rural highways; Slopes; Traffic lanes; Two lane highways; Width
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00203490
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 15 1971 12:00AM