Module 5 : Uninterrupted Flow

Lecture 23 : Multilane Highways

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	Multilane Highways A highway is a public road especially a major road connecting two or more destinations. A highway with at least two lanes for the exclusive use of traffic in each direction, with no control or partial control of access, but that may have periodic interruptions to flow at signalized intersections not closer than 3.0 km is called as multilane highway. They are typically located in suburban areas leading to central cities or along high-volume rural corridors that connect two cities or important activity centers that generate a considerable number of daily trips. Highway Classification There are various ways of classification of highways; we will see classification of highways according to number of lanes. Two lane highways. Multilane highways Highway Characteristics Multilane highways generally have posted speed limits between 60 km/h and 90 km/h. They usually have four or six lanes, often with physical medians or two-way right turn lanes (TWRTL), although they may also be undivided. The traffic volumes generally varies from 15,000 - 40,000 vehicles per day. It may also go up to 100,000 vehicles per day with grade separations and no cross-median access. Traffic signals at major intersections are possible for multilane highways which facilitate partial control of access. Typical illustrations of multilane highway configurations are provided in Fig. 1 and 2 Figure 1: Divided multilane highway in a rural/suburban environment Figure 2: Undivided multilane highway in a rural/suburban environment