Somali National University

Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Dep’t
Course: Highway and Traffic Engineering
Chapter 4:
Highway Route Survey and
location
Outlines
Introduction

Steps in rout location

 Principle of highway location

Reconnaissance survey

Preliminary location survey

Final location survey

Introduction
Alignment :-The position or the layout of the
central line of the highway.
Horizontal alignment includes straight and curved
paths.
Vertical alignment includes vertical curves and change
in gradients.
The aim of alignment selection process is to find a
location for the new road that will result in the lowest
total construction, land, traffic and environmental costs
Introduction
A new road should be aligned very carefully
as improper alignment would result in one or
more of the following disadvantages:
(a)Increase in construction cost

(b) Increase in maintenance cost

(c) Increase in vehicle operation cost

(d)Increase in accident rate.

Introduction
Once the road is aligned and constructed, it is
not easy to change the alignment due to
increase in cost of adjoining land and
construction of costly structures by the road
side.
Hence the importance of careful considerations
while finalizing the alignment of a new road
need not be over emphasized.
Introduction
REQUIRMENTS
The basic requirements of an ideal alignment
between two terminal stations are that it
should be:
(a)Short

(b)Easy

(c) Safe, and

(d)Economical
Introduction
Short: It is desirable to have a short (or
shortest) alignment between two
terminal stations.
A straight alignment would be the
shortest, though there may be several
practical considerations which would
cause deviations from the shortest path.
Introduction
Easy: The alignment should be
such that it is easy to construct and
maintain the road with minimum
problems.
Also the alignment should be easy
for the operation of vehicles with
easy gradients and curves
Introduction
Safe: The alignment should be safe
enough for construction and
maintenance from the view point of
stability of natural hill slopes,
embankment and cut slopes and
foundation of embankments.
Also it should be safe for the traffic
operation with safe geometric features.
Introduction
Economical: The road alignment could
be considered economical only if the
total cost including initial cost,
maintenance cost and vehicle operation
cost is lowest.
All these factors should be given due
consideration before working out the
economical of each alignment.
Road location survey
What is a highway Survey?
The various stages of examination of an area so
as to locate the road finally in an economical
manner are known as highway surveys.
Road location survey
Highway Location
Location of proposed highway is an important
first step in its design. Particular location is
based on:
 Topography

 Soil characteristics

 Environmental factors such as noise and air

pollution
 Economic factors
Road location survey
Why location survey?
Surveys usually involve measuring and
computing horizontal and vertical
angles, vertical heights (elevations) and
horizontaldistances. Data from surveys
are used to produce maps with contour
lines and longitudinal cross sections.
Road location survey
Why location survey?
Location surveys provide fundamental
information for the economic,
environmental and social analyses
which have major influences on
the final location of the new road, as
well as for its geometric and structural
design.
Road location survey
Road locations are most easily
determined through low-cost, relatively
undeveloped lands;
in such case, basic engineering and
construction cost considerations
normally dominate the analyses
Road location survey
Road location survey in urban area
The problems become more complex
and ‘non-engineering’ issues become
more prominent as a route is sought
through well-developed rural lands,
and when interactions with existing
roads and built-up areas have to be
taken into account
Road location survey
The problems are most complex in and
about major urban areas where
interactions with existing roads and
streets, and economic, environmental
and planning issues become critical.
Road location survey
Where to locate a new road
A new major road needs to be located where it can
best serve the traffic desire lines, be as direct as
possible, and maximize its function of allowing
convenient free-flowing traffic operation at minimum
construction, environmental, land, traffic operations
and maintenance costs, the location process in urban
area is limited just to finding an alignment that meets
traffic desire lines, is acceptable to the public, and
enables road construction to occur at an economical
cost.
Road location survey

The first step in the location process is

fixing the end points, and then defining
a region, A, which will include all
feasible routes between these two
points; in a non-urban setting this
region will often be, say, one-third as
wide as it is long.
Road location survey
The region is then searched using
reconnaissance techniques to obtain a
limited number of broad bands, B and C,
within which further (refining) searches
can be concentrated; for a rural
motorway, for example M1, such bands
was about 8–16 km wide.
Road location survey
Road location survey
Within these bands, further reconnaissance type
searching may result in the selection of corridors D, E
and F, each perhaps 3–8 km wide.
A comparison of these corridors may then suggest
that E will provide the best route, and route G is then
generated within it; typically, this route could be 1–
1.5 km wide in a rural locale. The next, preliminary
location, step is to search this route and locate within
one or more feasible alignments, containing relatively
minor design differences.
Road location survey
The data to be collected typically include:
topographic,

soil and geological survey data,

Land usages and population distributions,

Travel demands and road user costs,

construction and maintenance costs,

 and safety factors.

Road location survey
Considerations of a political, social and
environmental nature which require
extensive public consultation may also
have to be taken into account before
final location decisions can be taken.
Road location survey
Location surveys in non-built-up areas:
Generally, this approach relies upon the
following three types of survey:
• reconnaissance,
• preliminary location, and
• final location/ design.
Road location survey
Techniques for highway surveys
Most engineering consultants and state agencies
presently Techniques for highway surveys involved in
highway locations use computerized techniques to
process the vast amounts of data that are generally
handled in the decision process.
These techniques include:
 Ground surveys

 Remote sensing

 Computer graphics
Road location survey
Ground Surveys
Transit (theodolite): Used for measuring angles in both
vertical and horizontal planes
 Level: Used for measuring changes in elevation

Measuring tapes: Used for measuring horizontal

distances (Nowadays Electronic Measurement
Devices (EDM’s) are used)
Modern transit frameworks can do all three (vertical
and horizontal angles, distance and elevation
measurements)
Road location survey
Remote Sensing
Measurement of distances and
elevations using devices located above
the earth such as:
Airplanes (aerial photography or
photogrammetry)
Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
using orbiting satellites
Road location survey
The most common uses of photogrammetry in
highway engineering are the identification of
suitable locations for highways, and the
preparation of base maps for design mapping,
showing all physical and man-made features
plus contours of 2- or 5-ft intervals. In both of
these uses, the first task is to obtain the aerial
photographs of the area if none is available.
Road location survey
Road location survey
Factor Controlling Alignment
For an alignment to be shortest, it should be straight
between two terminal stations. This is not always
possible due to various difficulties such as
intermediate obstructions and topography.
A shortest route may have very steep gradients and
hence not easy for vehicle operation. Similarly,
there may be construction and maintenance
problem along a route in order to cater for
intermediate place of importance or obligatory
points
Factor Controlling Alignment
The various factors which control the highway
alignment in general may be as:
(a)Obligatory Points: there are control points
governing the alignment of the highways. These
control point may be divided broadly into two
categories.
(1) Point through which the alignment is to pass.
(2) Point through which the alignment should
not pass.
Factor Controlling Alignment
1) Obligatorypoint through which the
road alignment has to pass may be
cause the alignment to often deviate
from the shortest or easiest path.
The various examples of this category
may be bridge site, intermediate town, a
mountain pass or a quarry.
Factor Controlling Alignment
When it is necessary to cross hill range, mountain
or high ridges the various alternatives are to cut a
tunnel or to go round the hill or to deviate until a
suitable hill pass is available. The suitability of
these alternatives depends on many other factors,
like the topography and site conditions and cost
considerations fig 1 show how the straight
alignment AB is deviated along the hill side pass,
thus avoiding a tunnel or heavy cutting
Factor Controlling Alignment

Fig. 1 alignment along a hill side pass

Factor Controlling Alignment
2) Obligatory point through which the
road should not pass also may make it
necessary to deviate from the proposed
shortest alignment.
The obligatory point which should be
avoided while alignment road include
religious place, very costly structures,
unsuitable land etc.
Factor Controlling Alignment
Religious place like temple, church, graves or
tomb have been protected by the law from
being acquired for any purpose. Acquiring
costly structure would mean heavy
compensation resulting in increased cost.
A lake, a pond or a valley which falls of a
straight alignment will also necessitate
deviating from the straight path and going
round along the grade line
Factor Controlling Alignment
(b)Traffic: The alignment should suit
traffic requirements.
Origin and Destination study be carried
out in the area and the desired line be
drawn showing the trend of traffic flow.
The new road to be aligned should keep
in view the desired lines, traffic flow
patterns and the future trends.
Factor Controlling Alignment
(c) Geometric Design: Geometric design factor
such as gradient, radius of curve and sight
distance also would govern the final alignment
of the highway.
If straight alignment is aimed at, often it may
be necessary to provide very steep gradients.
As for as possible while aligning a new road,
the gradients should be flat and less than the
ruling or design gradient.
Factor Controlling Alignment
Thus it may be necessary to change the
alignment in view of the design speed,
maximum allowable super elevation and
coefficient of lateral friction.
It may be necessary to make adjustment
in horizontal alignment of road keeping
in view the minimum radius of curve
and the transition curves
Factor Controlling Alignment
(d) Economic: The alignment finalized based on
the above factor should also be economical.
In working out the economics, the initial cost,
of maintenance and vehicle operation should
be taken into account.
The cost of construction can be decrease if high
embankment and deep cuttings are avoided
and the alignment is chosen in a manner to
balance the cutting and filling
Road location survey
Complexity of the location process:
The location of a new major road
require to consider many complex and
interrelated factors, which normally
utilize the skills of economists,
geologists, planners and surveyors as
well as road/Transport Engineers.
Road location survey
Before attempting to define the physical
location of a new road, data must be
available to the road engineer regarding
traffic volumes, the planning intentions
within the area to be traversed, and
preliminary estimates of the anticipated
design of the proposed road.
Principles of Highway Route Location Process
The basic principle for locating
highways is that roadway elements such
as curvature and grade must blend with
each other to produce a system that
provides for the easy flow of traffic at
the design capacity, while meeting
design criteria and safety standards
Principles of Highway Route Location Process
The highway should also cause a
minimal disruption to historic and
archeological sites and to other land-use
activities.
Environmental impact studies are
therefore required in most cases before a
highway location is finally agreed upon.
Basic Principles for Highway Location
Roadway elements (curvature, grade,
etc) must blend with each other to
produce a system that provides for the
easy flow of traffic at the design
capacity, while meeting design criteria
and safety standards.
Should cause minimal disruption to
historic and archeological sites and
other land-use activities
Factors Considered in the Location Process
Topography

Socialand demographic (including land

use and zoning patterns)

Terrain and soil conditions

Garber and Hoel,
2002
Factors Considered in the Location Process
Directness of route
Serviceability of route to industrial and
population areas
Crossing of other transportation
facilities (roads, railroads, rivers)
•Intersect other roads at right angle
Garber and Hoel,
2002
Factors Considered in the Location Process
Environmental

- Animal habitat
- Location of recreational, historic and
archeological sites
- Noise, air, and water pollution
Garber and Hoel, 2002
Factors Considered in the Location Process
Economic

oConstruction
oMaintenance costs
oRoad user costs
oRoad user benefits (i.e. travel time)
oAdverse effects such as dislocation of
people or businesses
Location Steps
Identify corridor limits
Identify 3 classes of geographic
constraint
•No-build, somewhat sensitive,
potential use
Define alternative alignments – each
one different to satisfy EIS requirements
Avoid or minimize impact on
Recreation and parks

Public utilities

Neighborhoods

Religious institutions, cemeteries

Avoid or minimize impact on
Ecologically sensitive areas

Natural and historical landmarks

Businesses
Steps in Route Location
Location of proposed highway is an
important first step in its design and the
steps as follow:
1) known the termini 5) possible center line
point 6) examine each of the
2) identify and locate alternative
3) reconnaissance alignment
survey 7) final design

4) draw a corridor
Highway Location Survey Process
The highway location process involves
four phases:
1) Office study of existing information.

2) Reconnaissance survey.

3) Preliminary location survey

4) Final location survey.

Highway Location Survey Process
1) Office study of existing information
The first phase in any highway location study
is the examination of all available data of the
area in which the road is to be constructed.
This phase is usually carried out in the office
prior to any field or photogrammetric
investigation.
All the available data are collected and
examined
Highway Location Survey Process
Highway Location Survey Process
These data can be obtained from
- existing engineering reports,
- maps,
- aerial photographs,
- and charts,
which are usually available at one or more
of the state’s departments of transportation,
agriculture, geology, hydrology, and
mining
Highway Location Survey Process
Data Should Be Obtained On The
Following Characteristics Of The Area:
Engineering: including topography,
geology, climate, and traffic volumes.
Social and demographic: including
land use and zoning patterns.
Highway Location Survey Process
Environmental: including types of
wildlife; location of recreational, historic,
and archeological sites; and the possible
effects of air, noise, and water pollution.
Economic: including unit costs for
construction and the trend of agricultural,
commercial, and industrial activities.
Highway Location Survey Process
At the completion of this phase of the
study, the engineer will able to select the
general areas through which the highway
can traverse.
Highway Location Survey Process
2) Reconnaissance Survey
 The purpose of the reconnaissance survey is
to evaluate the feasibility of one or more
corridor routes for a highway between
specific points that may be many kilometers
away
 Aerial photography is widely used to obtain
the required information in rural roads.
Highway Location Survey Process
 Identify feasible routes using aerial
photographs considering:
- Terrain and soil condition

- Serviceability of route to industrial and

population areas
- Crossing of other transportation
facilities, such as other highways
- Directness of route
Highway Location Survey Process
 Determine control points between the
start and the end of the highway for
each feasible route.
 The feasible routes identified are then
plotted on photographic base maps
Highway Location Survey Process
3) Preliminary Location Survey
During this phase of the study, the positions
of the feasible routes are set as closely as
possible by establishing all the control points
and determining preliminary vertical and
horizontal alignments for each.
Preliminary alignments are used to evaluate
the economic and environmental feasibility of
the alternative routes.
Highway Location Survey Process
Economic Evaluation: determination of the future
plan of investing the resources necessary to
construct the highway.
‒ Benefit-cost ratio
‒ road user costs,
‒ construction and maintenance costs,
‒ road use benefits,
‒ any dis-benefit, which may include adverse impacts due to
dislocation of families and businesses.
Highway Location Survey Process
 Environmental Evaluation
‒ A highway is an integral part of the local environment.
• human, plant, and animal communities encompassing
social, physical, natural, and man-made variables.
‒ Sustainable lifestyle of the different communities
‒ The construction of a highway may result in
significant changes in one or more variable
• which may offset the equilibrium and result in
significant adverse effects on the environment.
Highway Location Survey Process
- Environmental Impact Statement/Study, which includes:
• A detailed description of alternatives.
• The probable environmental impact (positive and negative)
• Short-term impacts and long-term impacts
• Secondary effects, which may be in the form of changes in
the patterns of social and economic activities
• Adverse environmental effects that can’t be avoided if the
project is constructed
• Reversible and irretrievable resources that have been
committed
Highway Location Survey Process
- Publichearings to allow the public to
give their views on the
positive/negative impacts of the
proposed alternatives.
The best alternative, based on above
evaluation, is then selected as the
preliminary alignment of the highway.
Highway Location Survey Process
4)Final Location Survey
The final location survey is the
detailed layout of the selected route,
during which time the final horizontal
and vertical alignments are determined
and the final positions of structures
and drainage channels are also
determined
Highway Location Survey Process
4) Final Location Survey
 It is detailed layout of the selected route.
 The horizontal and vertical alignments are
determined.
 This is usually a trial-and-error process until, in the
designer's opinion, the best alignment is obtained.
 computer-based techniques enables driver's eye view
the alignments of the road.
Highway Location Survey Process
Location of Highway

Location of Highways in Urban Areas

‒ Urban areas usually present complex conditions that must
be considered in the highway location process.
‒ Other factors that significantly influence the location of
highways in urban areas include:
• Existing physical urban plans
• Connection to local streets
• Right-of-way acquisition
• Coordination of the highway system with other
transportation systems
• Adequate provisions for pedestrians
Location of Highway
Preparation Of Highway Plans
‒ After determining the final location, it is then necessary to
provide the plans and specifications for the facility.
‒ The plans and specifications are part of the contract
documents and are therefore considered legal documents.
‒ Horizontal Plans indicate the tangents and with details of
horizontal curves
‒ Profiles indicate the natural ground surface and the center
line of the road (Vertical Alignments), with details of
vertical curves
Location of Highway
- The horizontal alignment is usually drawn to a
scale of 1:1000, sometimes the scale of 1:500 is used
to provide more detail.
‒ The vertical alignment is usually drawn below the
horizontal alignment , where the horizontal scale
used is the same as that of the horizontal alignment,
but the vertical scale is exaggerated five to ten
times.
Location of Highway in Urban Areas
Examples of scale:
- horizontal alignment : 1:1000, vertical alignment: 1:100
- horizontal alignment : 1:1000, vertical alignment: 1:200
- horizontal alignment : 1:500, vertical alignment: 1:100