EXPRESS WAYS

EXPRESS WAYS

-Express way- Arterial highway used for motorized traffic, with divided
carriage ways for high speed travel, with full control of access and provided
with grade separators at intersections.

-Mostly built with Public Private Partnership (PPP) Mode.

-Inter-city Express ways: 4 lane, 6 lane or 8 lane.

-Code used- IRC: SP: 99 – 2013 (Manual of Specifications and Standards for
Express ways).
GEOMETRIC DESIGN FEATURES
Design Speed

Nature of Terrain Cross Slope of the Design Speed

Ground (km/hr)
Plain Less than 10 % 120
Rolling Between 10 and 25 % 100

 When an intervening hilly terrain is present, lower design speed of upto 80 km/hr
can be adopted and speed limit signs should be posted.
Right of Way (ROW)
Section Right of Way (ROW) Width
Rural Section 90 – 120 m
Rural section passing through 120 m
Semi-urban Areas

 ROW includes 2 m wide strip on either sides for placing the utilities
outside the fencing.
 In case of elevated Express way on the Viaduct is proposed, ROW can be
reduced depending on the site conditions and safety requirements.
 Additional land at bridge approaches, grade separated structures, toll plaza,
interchanges shall be acquired as per design.
 ROW of the Express way does not include service road width.
Lane Width of Carriage Way
 Minimum of two lanes in each direction of travel.
 Standard lane width of 3.75 m for each lane.

Median
Type of Median Recommended Median Width (m)
Minimum Desirable
Depressed 12.0 15.0
Flush 4.5 4.5
Flush (To accommodate 8.0 8.0
structure/pier on Median)

 Median of uniform width needs to be maintained, otherwise a transition of 1 in

50 shall be provided if the change is unavoidable.
Shoulders
 Left side of the carriage way: Paved- 3 m wide and earthen- 2 m wide.
 Composition of Paved Shoulder – Same as that of the Carriage way.
 Composition of Earthen Shoulder – 200 mm thick layer of non-erodible granular material

Roadway Width
 Depends on the width of Carriage way, Shoulders and the Median.

Crossfall
Cross-sectional Element Annual Rainfall
1000 mm or more Less than 1000 mm
Carriage way. Paved Shoulders, 2.5 % 2.0 %
Edge strip. Flush Median (Min.)
Earthen/Granular Shoulders Shall be at least 1.0 % steeper than the above
values
Horizontal Alignment
Minimum Radii of Horizontal Curves
Design Speed (km/hr) 120 100 80
Absolute Minimum Radius (m) 670 440 260
Desirable Minimum Radius (m) 1000 700 400

Minimum Length of Transition Curves

Design Speed (km/hr) 120 100 80
Minimum Length of Transition Curve (m) 100 85 70

Super Elevation
 7 % - If radius of the curve is less than the desirable minimum radius.
 5 % - If radius of the curve is mora than or equal to the minimum radius.
 Super Elevation shall not be less than the minimum specified Crossfall.
Safe Sight Distance Values
Design Speed Safe Stopping Sight Desirable Minimum Sight Distance
(km/hr) Distance (m) (m) (Intermediate Sight Distance)
120 250 500
100 180 360
80 120 240

At Critical Locations or Decision Points where changes in cross-sections occur such as

toll plazas and interchanges, the sight distance shall not be less than the Decision Sight
Distance.
Design Speed (km/hr) Decision Sight Distance (m)
120 360
100 315
80 230
Vertical Alignment
Gradients
Terrain Ruling Gradient Limiting Gradient
Plain 2.5 % 3.0 %
Rolling 3.0 % 4.0 %
Vertical Curves
 Length of the Vertical Curve is decided by Sight Distance requirements.
 Summit and Valley Curves shall be designed as square parabola.

Minimum Length of Vertical Curves

Design Speed (km/hr) Minimum Grade Change Minimum Length of
requiring Vertical Curve Vertical Curve (m)
120 0.5 % 100
100 0.5 % 85
80 0.6 % 70
Capacity of Express Way
 Desired Level of Service (LOS) = B
 Design Service Volume for Plain/Rolling Terrain = 1300 PCU/hr/lane

Design Service Volume in PCUs per day for LOS B

4 - lane 6 - lane 8 - lane
86,000 for Peak Hour 1,30,000 for Peak Hour 1,73,000 for Peak Hour
Flow (6 %) Flow (6 %) Flow (6 %)
65,000 for Peak Hour 98,000 for Peak Hour 1,30,000 for Peak Hour
Flow (8 %) Flow (8 %) Flow (8 %)
Typical Cross-sections of Express Way
4 Lane – Depressed Median
6 Lane – Depressed Median
8 Lane – Depressed Median
4 Lane – Flush Median
6 Lane – Flush Median
8 Lane – Flush Median