COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF LANE AND SHOULDER WIDENING OF RURAL, TWO-LANE ROADS IN KENTUCKY

The purpose of the study was to determine the cost-effectiveness of widening lanes and shoulders on rural, two-lane roads. Information concerning geometrics, accidents, and traffic volumes was obtained for over 15,00 miles (25,000 miles km) of roads. Reductions in accident rates occurred as lane and shoulder widths increased. Run-off-road and opposite-direction accidents were the primary accident types associated with narrow lanes and shoulders. Reductions in accidents ranged from 10 to 39 percent for lane widening and 6 to 21 percent for shoulder widening. Priority listings were prepared for 531 projects based on critical rate factor. Priority listings were also prepared for the top 120 lane-widening projects and the top 36 shoulder-widening projects based on benefit-cost ratios.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.13023/KTC.RR.1979.524
• Corporate Authors:

  Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

  State Office Building, 200 Mero Street
  Frankfort, KY  United States  40622

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Zegeer, C V
  • Mayes, J G
• Publication Date: 1979-7

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 52 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Construction; Cost effectiveness; Crash investigation; Crash types; Improvements; Pavement widening; Prevention; Road shoulders; Rural areas; Rural highways; Safety; Traffic crashes; Traffic lanes; Traffic safety; Traffic surveys; Traffic volume; Two lane highways; Width
• Uncontrolled Terms: Motor vehicle accidents; Widening
• Geographic Terms: Kentucky
• Old TRIS Terms: Lanes; Reads
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00318958
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: BR-524 Final Rpt.
• Contract Numbers: KYP-72-40
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 19 1981 12:00AM