ROADS AND HIGHWAYS
environment to facilitate mobility. It furthermore
Roads and highways, traveled way on which people,
animals, or wheeled vehicles move. In modern
usage the term road describes a rural, lesser
traveled way, while the word street denotes an
urban roadway. Highway refers to a major rural
traveled way; more recently it has been used for a
road, in either a rural or urban area, where points of
entrance and exit for traffic are limited and
controlled.
HISTORY
The first roads were paths made by animals and
later adapted by humans. The earliest records of
such paths have been found around some springs
near Jericho and date from about 6000 BC. The first
indications of constructed roads date from about
4000 BC and consist of stone-paved streets at Ur in
modern-day Iraq and timber roads preserved in a
swamp in Glastonbury, England. During the Bronze
Age, the availability of metal tools made the
construction of stone paving more feasible; at the
same time, demand for paved roads rose with the
use of wheeled vehicles, which were well
established by 2000 BC.
IMPORTANCE OF ROADS AND HIGHWAYS IN
URBAN AREAS
SOCIAL - The road network facilitates the
movement of people allowing for social interaction.
A high quality road network is essential not only for
connecting key urban centers but for improving
connectivity.
ECONOMIC - By connecting geographic
locations, road networks facilitate the transport and
movement of people, goods, and services, creating
welfare. Road networks played a crucial role in the
economic development of the 20th century,
enabling relatively fast individual transportation for
the masses from the second part of the 20th
century. Road transport still plays a crucial role in
the national and local transportation networks.
MOBILITY - The function of a road network is
to facilitate movement from one area to another. As
such, it has an important role to play in the urban
determines the accessibility of an urban area
together with public transport options.
ADVANTAGES OF DEVELOPING GOOD ROAD
NETWORKS
1. Stimulating the development of certain
areas in terms of commercial activities,
urban development, and creating jobs.
2. Security, good accessibility by the road
network is also important, for example for
good accessibility in case of incidents
FACTORS AFFECTING THE SELECTION OF LOCATION
OF ROADS AND HIGHWAYS
1. TRAFFIC
Traffic planner from various studies can
predict the effect of travel patterns of
alternative location proposed highway. Also
they analyze the probable effect of new links
in highway network. This permits the
location engineer to determine how well
alternative locations will fit with the existing
network.
2. LAND USE
It is a major factor affecting the pattern of
traffic generation is an urban areas. For
urban highway the commercial, residential
and industrial areas are too considered.
Although the highway should be designed
for peak hour volume and the travel patterns
vary with time of day, day of weak. Season of
the year also has effect in other ways.
3. PARKING FACILITY FOR VEHICLES
For highway location in an urban area the
existing parking facility should be
considered. Ideally the location should be
close to existing and potential parking areas
to avoiding the amount of travel on existing
street.
 4. ALREADY EXISTING TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM
To increase the overall level of service of
transportation in an urban area interference
and interaction with other transportation
system should be considered.
5. TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY
Same importance as in rural area. Due to
high cost of right of way are certain areas
from where the road should not pass.
6. SOCIOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
 Proposed location should not serve
residential neighbourhoods or create
barriers between residential and other
community service.
 Open public land should be retained as far as
possible.
 Park an residential land should be used only
if there is no alternate location can serve as
stabilizing force by screening the traffic from
residential communities.
ROAD NETWORKS
 Intersections
 Roundabouts
 Motorways
 Urban roads
 Footpaths
Intersections – …………………………………………….
Roundabouts – ……………………………………………..
Motorways – a main road for fast-moving traffic,
having limited access, separate carriageways for
vehicles travelling in opposite directions, and
usually a total of four or six lanes.
Bicycle lanes – defined as a portion of the roadway
that has been designated by striping, signage, and
pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive
use of bicyclists. Bike lanes enable bicyclists to ride
at their preferred speed without interference from
prevailing traffic conditions.
Footpaths – footpath is a type of thoroughfare that
is intended for use only by pedestrians and no other
forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles, cycles,
and horses. Urban footpaths are usually paved, may
have steps, and can be called alleys, lanes, steps,
etc.
TYPES OF ROAD PATTERNS
 Rectangular/ Block/ Grid Pattern
The rectangular/ block/ grid pattern is a plan
where the streets and roads are in the form
of grids or blocks running perpendicularly
into each other thus forming a grid or block.
 Radial Pattern
In this type of pattern the network of roads
is in the form of circles emanating from the
center of the area.
 Radial and Block Pattern
This type of network is a combination
of radial and block pattern. A radial
network of roads radiate from the
center outwardly with block pattern
network of roads in between the
radial main streets.
 Radial and Circular Pattern
In this type of road pattern the main
roads radiate from the central point
and are connected together by
concentric roads that are also
radiating outwardly.
 Radial and Grid Pattern
It is a combination of radial and grid
pattern. A radial network of roads
radiate from the center outwardly.
The main radial streets are then
interconnected by providing grid
pattern in between the main streets.
 Hexagonal Patterns
This pattern is a network of roads that grow
in such a manner in various directions
forming hexagons.
 Linear Patterns
In this type of pattern the roads grow linearly in
one direction possibly due to the presence of
some natural forces such as sea or ocean at one
side of the city.
HIGHWAYS
Freeways - A freeway is a major road with
several lanes that has been
specially built for fast travel over long distances.
Primary Streets - These provide for
major traffic movement between centers of
population and economic activity on a national
and regional level.
Primary Streets - Within urban boundaries these
link traffic from
strategic roads to residential streets or
industrial roads.
Service roads - A frontage road (also known as an
access road, service road or parallel road) is a local
road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-
access road. A frontage road is often used to provide
access to private driveways, shops, houses,
industries or farms.
NON-URBAN VS. URBAN ROADS
Classification of Non-urban Roads
National Highway (N.H)
National highway are main roads running through
the length and breadth of the country. They connect
capitals of states, ports, large towns, industrial
centers and foreign highways
State Highways (S.H)
These roads are the main arteries of traffic within a
state. They connect important cities and district
headquarters within the state. They are also known
as Provincial Highways.
Major District Roads (M.D.R)
The important roads within a district serving areas
of production and markets and connecting those
with each other or with main highways are known
as Major District Roads.
Other District Roads (O.D.R)
The roads serving rural areas of production and
connecting them with outlet to market centers,
taluk headquarters, block headquarters or other
main roads are called Other District Roads.
Village Roads
The roads connecting villages or groups of villages
with each other or with the nearest road of higher
category are known as village roads.
Classification of Urban Roads
Express ways
The portion of road way of an urban road reserved
for use only by high speed or power driven vehicles
is called Express way or motor way or super
highway.
Arterial Roads
These are streets primarily for the high traffic on a
continuous route. Arterial's have a higher level of
traffic mobility,
Sub-arterial Roads
These roads serve same purposes as arterial road,
but have lower level of traffic than the arterial
roads.
Collector Streets
Collector Streets provide access to arterial streets
and they collect & distribute from and to local
streets.
Local Streets
Local Streets provide access to adjoining property.