Road Margins
Road Margins
Road Margins
(GROUP 1)
P2 LESSON 6
LESSON OBJECTIVES
a) SHOULDERS ARE PROVIDED ALONG THE ROAD EDGE AND ARE INTENDED FOR
ACCOMMODATION IF STOPPED VEHICLES, SERVE AS AN EMERGENCY LANE FOR VEHICLES
AND PROVIDE LATERAL SUPPORT FOR BASE AND SURFACE COURSES. THE SHOULDER
WIDTH SHOULD BE ADEQUATE FOR GIVING WORKING SPACE AROUND A STOPPED
VEHICLE. IT IS DESIRABLE TO HAVE A WIDTH OF 4.6M FOR THE SHOULDERS.
b) PARKING LANES ARE PROVIDED IN URBAN LANES FOR SIDE PARKING. PARALLEL PARKING IS
PREFFERRED BECAUSE IT IS SAFE FOR THE VEHICLES MOVING ON THE ROAD. THE PARKING
LANE SHOULD HAVE A MINIMUM OF 3.0M WIDTH IN THE CASE OF PARALLEL PARKING.
c) BUS BAYS ARE PROVIDED BY RECESSING THE KERBS FOR BUS STOPS. THEY ARE PROVIDED
SO THAT THEY DO NOT OBSTRUCT THE MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES IN THE CARRIAGEWAY. THEY
SHOULD BE AT LEAST 75 METERS AWAY FROM THE INTERSECTION SO THAT THE TRAFFIC NEAR
THE INTERSECTIONS IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE BUS-BAY.
d) SERVICE ROADS OR FRONTAGE ROADS GIVE ACCESS TO ACCESS-CONTROLLED HIGHWAYS
LIKE FREEWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS. THEY RUN PARALLEL TO THE HIGHWAY AND WILL BE
USUALLY ISOLATED BY A SEPARATOR AND ACCESS TO THE HIGHWAY WILL BE PROVIDED ONLY
AT SELECTED POINTS. THESE ROADS ARE PROVIDED TO AVOID CONGESTION IN THE
EXPRESSWAYS AND ALSO THE SPEED OF THE TRAFFIC IN THOSE LANES IS NOT REDUCED.
e) CYCLE TRACKS ARE PROVIDED IN URBAN AREAS WHEN THE VOLUME OF CYCLE TRAFFIC IS
HIGH MINIMUM WIDTH OF 2 METER IS REQUIRED, WHICH MAY BE INCREASED BY 1 METER
FOR EVERY ADDITIONAL TRACK
f) FOOTPATHS ARE EXCLUSIVE RIGHT OF WAY TO PEDESTRIANS, ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS.
THEY ARE PROVIDED FOR SAFETY OF THE PEDESTRIAN WHEN BOTH THE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC
AND VEHICULAR TRAFFIC IS HIGH. MINIMUM WIDTH IS 1.5 METER AND MAY BE INCREASED
BASED ON THE TRAFFIC. THE FOOTPATH SHOULD BE EITHER AS SMOOTH AS THE PAVEMENT
OR SMOOTHER THAN THAT TO INDUCE THE PEDESTRIAN TO USE THE FOOTPATH.
g) GUARD RAILS ARE PROVIDED AT THE EDGE OF THE SHOULDER USUALLY WHEN THE ROAD IS
AN EMBANKMENT. THEY SERVE TO PREVENT THE VEHICLES FROM RUNNING OVER THE
EMBANKMENT, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE HEIGHT EXCEEDS 3 METERS VARIOUS DESIGNS OF
GUARD RAILS ARE THERE. GUARD STONES PAINTED IN ALTERNATE BLACK AND WHITE ARE
USUALLY USED. THEY ALSO GIVE BETTER VISIBILITY OF CURVES AT NIGHT UNDER HEADLIGHTS
OF VEHICLES.
THANK YOU