Roadway Design

Services: Roadway Design

picture of roadway projectAre you looking to design a road to service a potential development or subdivision? The design of a roadway is an involved process that must take into account a number of environmental and regulatory factors. Each municipality has specific requirements for the design and construction of roadways based on the estimated traffic and use of a roadway. In addition, all potential horizontal and vertical geometry associated with a roadway must be designed with regard to a site’s existing topography and environmentally sensitive areas.

Preliminary Planning Stages

The staff of Arthur H. Howland & Associates, P.C.understands the various issues associated with the design of a roadway. We use the latest software and analysis tools to provide cost-effective roadway designs that not only meet our client’s needs but also work with a site’s existing terrain to minimize impacts to environmentally sensitive areas. The design of a road typically involves a number of stages. During the initial stages of a potential roadway project we meet with the client to fully understand how and where they want the road to be designed. Following this initial meeting, our office will perform a “rough” analysis of a site to determine whether or not a roadway can be feasibly be designed to meet the client’s goals, avoid disturbance to existing environmentally sensitive areas, and comply with the guidelines and regulations set forth by pertinent regulating agencies. This “rough” analysis typically makes use of any mapping available of a subject site. This mapping may include United States Geological Survey (USGS) mappingNatural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil mappingaerial photographs, as well as, any survey mapping available for the site.

Final Roadway Design

Following the “rough” analysis, we then meet with the client to discuss any potential issues pertaining to the roadway design and determine whether or not the project will move forward to final design. If the client decides to proceed with the design, it is then necessary to develop existing conditions survey mapping of the potential road site. Existing conditions mapping is generated based on field data collected by survey crews or by photogrammetry. This field data is then compiled and used by our surveyors to generate the existing conditions and survey mapping. Following the creation of the existing conditions mapping, the engineering staff of Arthur H. Howland & Associates, P.C. then begins working on the creation of horizontal and vertical geometry for the roadway. The development of the horizontal and vertical alignments for a roadway are typically based on the standards and sight distance criteria set forth by the municipality where the roadway will be built. Other factors, such as the location of wetlands, steep terrain, floodplain limits, and other protected areas, often also play a large role in developing the final horizontal and vertical roadway geometry.

Associated Design Elements

During the design of a roadway, our engineers also pay close attention to other aspects associated with a roadway such as the design of the stormwater management systemplacement of utilities, and implementation of sedimentation and erosion control measures. All stormwater management systems designed by Arthur H. Howland & Associates, P.C. for roadways provide measures that enhance stormwater quality and attenuate any peak runoff rate increases associated with the impervious surfaces of a roadway. In addition, our engineers provide detailed Erosion & Sedimentation Control Plans and Construction Sequences that outline the procedures and methods necessary to minimize erosion and sediment transport during the construction of the roadway. Our office also provides layout and design of other utilities, such as sanitary sewer, in order to minimize utility conflicts during construction.

Let Us Take the Lead

If you are interested in designing a road to service a development or subdivision, the staff of Arthur H. Howland & Associates, P.C. is here to help. Contact us at (860) 354-9346 to discuss how our staff of experienced design engineers and land surveyors can take you through the roadway design process.

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