Measures to ensure traffic safety for two-lane motorways (expressways) with smaller traffic volume (effort in Japan)

Japan's expressway network is roughly 80% complete, and the remaining sections are not expected to see heavy traffic; thus for the foreseeable future, operational planning assumes two-lane, two-way traffic. Tragic head-on collisions have occurred on Japan's two-lane expressways as a result of vehicles straying into oncoming traffic. With Japan's declining birthrate and a growing proportion of elderly people, no significant increase in traffic demand is expected for the majority of Japan's traffic routes and sections. Thus, for those roads which expansion to four lanes was not anticipated in initial planning and those expressways which have been maintained as two-lane expressways since their establishment, the speed of certain services and the level of road safety can be effectively increased. This is done by installing a safety barrier between the opposing lanes of traffic in order to physically separate them. For some routes and sections, this road structure has been implemented and is in operation. Thus, this report will look at a) the background study, b) the challenges involved in full-scale implementation and c) the measures taken to overcome those challenges for the implementation of this road structure.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.piarc.org/en/order-library/13949-en-Proceedings%20of%20the%20XXIVth%20World%20Road%20Congress,%20Mexico%20-%202011.htm
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of the World Road Association – PIARC.
• Corporate Authors:

  World Road Association (PIARC)

  La Grande Arche, Paroi Nord, Niveau 5
  F-92055 La Defense Cedex,   France 
• Authors:
  • Abe, Koichi
  • Tanowaki, Yoshinori
  • Tsuji, Kota
• Conference:
  • 24th World Road Congress
  • Location: Mexico City , Mexico
  • Date: 2011-9-26 to 2011-9-30
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 16p
• Monograph Title: 24th World Road Congress Proceedings: Roads for a Better Life: Mobility, Sustainability and Development

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Expressways; Highway safety; Low volume roads; Median barriers; Two lane highways
• Geographic Terms: Japan
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01502804
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 2840602679
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 2 2014 7:08AM