Realignment - Vertical
A change in the vertical alignment of a road is often implicated in head-on, intersection and overtaking crashes.
Vertical road realignment may be used to
Intersection approaches may be realigned vertically (or horizontally, or both) to improve sight distance. Realigning the road is costly and time consuming because it usually involves rebuilding a section of the road.
- Reduced risk of head-on, intersection and overtaking crashes.
- Reduced risk of vehicle equipment failure (steep grades).
- More uniform traffic flow.
- Vertical curve realignments require a lot of design and construction effort, and a lot of time and money. It is much better to design the road well before it is built than to rebuild it.
- Horizontal and vertical alignments should be considered together. Poor combinations of vertical and horizontal alignment can confuse drivers and lead to dangerous situations
Benefits
- Reduced risk of head-on, intersection and overtaking crashes.
- Reduced risk of vehicle equipment failure (steep grades).
- More uniform traffic flow.
Implementation issues
- Vertical curve realignments require a lot of design and construction effort, and a lot of time and money. It is much better to design the road well before it is built than to rebuild it.
- Horizontal and vertical alignments should be considered together. Poor combinations of vertical and horizontal alignment can confuse drivers and lead to dangerous situations
Did you know?
Traffic calming treatments cause drivers to change their driving pattern.
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