Chapter 01
Chapter 01
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Chapter 1
Framework of the Road Planning
and Design Manual
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Manual Contents
Chapter 1
Framework of the Road Planning Chapter 12
and Design Manual Vertical Alignment
1
Chapter 2 Chapter 13
Design Philosophy Intersections at Grade
Chapter 3
Chapter 14
Road Planning and Design
Roundabouts
Fundamentals
Chapter 4
Chapter 15
Application of Design Principles
Auxiliary Lanes
and Standards
Chapter 5
Chapter 16
Traffic Parameters and Human
Interchanges
Factors
Chapter 6 Chapter 17
Speed Parameters Lighting
Chapter 7 Chapter 18
Cross Section Traffic signals
Chapter 8
Chapter 19
Safety Barriers and Roadside
Intelligent Transport Systems
Furniture
Chapter 9 Chapter 20
Sight Distance Roadside Amenities
Chapter 21
Chapter 10
Railway and Cane Railway Level
Alignment Design
Crossings
Chapter 22
Chapter 11
Bridges, Retaining Walls and
Horizontal Alignment
Tunnels
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Table of Contents
1.1 Introduction 1-1
References 1-13
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Description of Revision Date
Rev.No Section By
1 First Issue Steering Nov
Committee 2000
2 1.2 New Section 1.2 and new Figure 1.1
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1.1 Introduction 2. promotes, within overall transport
1
objectives, the safe transport of
persons and goods; and
1.1.1 Policy
3. encourages efficient and competitive
Main Roads’ vision for Queensland roads behaviour in the construction
is “A road system that enhances the social, and maintenance of transport
cultural and environmental well-being of infrastructure.
Queensland communities”. The blueprint
for this vision is contained in “Roads
This Manual has been developed to help
Connecting Queenslanders” (Main Roads
meet these requirements and sets the
2002a).
policy and framework for the planning
This Planning and Design Manual is and design of new roads and existing
one of a suite of manuals that has been roads to be upgraded in Queensland.
developed to assist in the delivery of It is the Department’s primary technical
this vision. There are also legislative reference for people engaged in the
requirements contained in the Transport planning and design of roads, providing
Infrastructure Act, one of the fundamental sufficient information for them to undertake
requirements being the Chief Executive their routine daily work without continual
must ensure that: reference to other documents. However,
it has been assumed that when matters
(a) the construction, maintenance and out of the ordinary are encountered, the
operation of the road network is subject will be examined in more detail
carried out in accordance with the by consulting relevant experts and/or
Chief Executive’s published standards using the source documents as follows
that are designed to achieve:
(listed in order of priority):
1. efficiency; • Other Main Roads specialist manuals
(including the Manual of Uniform
2. affordable quality;
Traffic Control Devices [MUTCD]);
3. cost effectiveness;
• Austroads publications and Australian
Standards;
and
• Lay, M.G. – Handbook of Road
(b) construction, maintenance and
Technology;
operation are carried out in a way that:
• Design Guides (Manuals) from other
1. takes into account national and
Australian States;
international benchmarks and
international best practice; • AASHTO – A Policy on Geometric
Design of Highways and Streets;
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• Geometric Design Guide for Canadian this test on the conclusions that they have
Roads (especially the Chapters on drawn from applying the manual and make
Philosophy and Design Consistency) sensible adjustments to ensure that the
project truly represents fitness for purpose.
Other international design guides may be
consulted where they address a particular For Queensland Department of Main
issue in a more comprehensive way than Roads’ projects, where non-compliance
those in the list. Other references are provided with the design requirements of this
manual is proposed, written approval is
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in each of the Chapters and these may also
be consulted. This manual provides detailed first required from the Manager (Transport
guidance primarily on geometric standards Planning) or Manager (Infrastructure
for the planning and design of roads; it does Delivery), as relevant, of the District/s
not address all the issues associated with concerned. At the same time advice must
the overall planning and design of the whole also be sent to the Principal Manager
road. The Department produces a number (Infrastructure Design), Planning Design
of other manuals to deal with other specialist and Environment Division, Road System
areas (refer to Section 1.1.3). and Engineering.
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of previously published information have Manual;
been included where feasible. However,
• Manual of Uniform Traffic Control
to avoid undue repetition and duplication, Devices (MUTCD), Qld;
cross-referencing to other Manuals and
Codes of Practice has been included where • Guide to Pavement Markings;
appropriate.
• Roads Policy Manual;
This Manual therefore forms part of a suite
of publications providing comprehensive • Standard Drawings Roads Manual;
coverage of requirements for the planning
and design of roads. The relevant • Guide to the Management of Roadside
publications are included as references in Advertising; and,
the various Chapters of this Manual and • Standard Specifications Roads,
include: Volumes 1 and 2.
• Road System Manager (formerly the
Strategic Framework for Road System • Engineering Technical Notes and
Asset Management); Engineering Policies.
• Roads in the Wet Tropics; (Note: The above list is not a comprehensive
one; Main Roads publishes a number of
• Cultural Heritage Manual; additional manuals. References to Main
• Road Landscape Manual; Roads manuals have been included in this
manual as appropriate).
• Road Traffic Noise Management: Code
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on these sites, users should regularly check Act. Copies of the Legislation (i.e. Acts) can
these sources to ensure that they remain be obtained by:
informed and up to date.
• ordering hard copies from GOPRINT
(http://www.goprint.qld.gov.au/web/web/) or,
1.2 Legislative
Accountability • downloading electronic copies from
the Queensland Parliamentary Council
website
1.2.1 Principal Legislation
(i.e. http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/).
The Department of Main Roads receives (Note: Users must read and understand
its authority from the Acts of Parliament the various Disclaimer notices
that enable it to function and define its associated with this site.)
responsibilities and powers. In addition, the
In addition, particular attention is required
other Acts of the Parliament of Queensland
by planners and designers where legislation
and the Commonwealth of Australia impact
requires approvals/permits from other
on the activities of the Department. In all
agencies. The environmental Legislation
circumstances, the Department has to act
Register provides details of environmental
in accordance with the prevailing laws of the
approvals permits.
State and Commonwealth.
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Legislation Objective or Purpose of Legislation Administering Output Documents
Authority
Transport Infrastructure Act To provide a regime that allows for and encourages effective Main Roads ● Transport infrastructure
integrated planning and efficient management of a system of strategies
transport infrastructure. ● Roads Implementation
Programs
Department of Main Roads
Transport Planning and The objective of the act is to improve the economic trade Queensland ● Transport Coordination
Plan
Road Planning and Design Manual
Environmental Protection The object of the act is to protect Queensland’s environment Environmental ● Environmental Protection
Act while allowing for development that improves the total Policies
quality of life, both now and in the future, in a way that Protection Authority
● Environmental
maintains the ecological processes on which life depends authorities;
Table 1.1 Principal Legislation Affecting Main Roads
Integrated Planning Act The IPA seeks to achieve ecologically sustainable Department of Local ● Plans for Infrastructure
(IPA) development through the coordination, integration, and Government and (PFI)
streamlining of a number of land use planning processes. Planning ● Statement of Intent (SOI)
The Act focuses on land use planning outcomes, the
management of development processes, and the
management of efffects on the environment by development.
Environment Protection To establish a new legislative framework for commonwealth Commonwealth of ● Management Plans
and Biodiversity environmental law with an emphasis on the protection Australia
Conservation Act of those aspects of the environment that are of “national
environment significance”.
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• allocation of funding.
The road network and the role of each
element within it need to be understood
to enable proper management of the road Policies for these operational and
system. Failure of any link to perform its management needs can be usefully and
task can lead to local or wider network directly tied to the functional hierarchy.
failure. In urban areas, for example, traffic The road hierarchy is therefore pivotal in
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congestion leading to “rat running” is a the identification of the function proposed
common symptom. In such cases the road for all the elements of the road system.
system fails to meet community (amenity) Road hierarchies have been described in a
or environmental expectations of residential number of ways for different purposes (e.g.
streets, for example calm zones where by traffic function, by design standard, or by
social issues may be more important than administrative responsibility).
traffic efficiency. Conversely, inappropriate The functional road hierarchy is determined
access on major through roads affects road by grouping roads according to the character
safety and capacity, again failing to meet of service they provide and is the most useful
community expectations and legislative approach for planning and design purposes.
intent. The hierarchy resulting from this approach
The functions of a roadway may be broadly includes the following groupings:
classified in terms of desirable criteria relative • controlled access roads (traffic movement
to the environment, access, and traffic (local function);
and through). Not all of these criteria will be
applicable for every road, and the degree to • major roads (largely traffic movement
which a roadway should be designed to cater function);
for each of them should be identified to enable
• collector / distributor roads (traffic,
priorities to be assigned. One way of achieving transition and access function);
this is to develop a road hierarchy based on
a functional classification of the roads in the • local roads (largely property access
system. If properly developed on this basis, the function).
road hierarchy is a useful planning tool that will
assist decision making for ongoing activities Refer to Tables 2.3A and 2.3B of the
such as: Preconstruction Processes Manual (Main
• network planning; Roads) for the desirable performance criteria
for roads of different function in urban and
• traffic management; rural roads respectively.
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matching the different functions; and
use and allow a consistent definition of traffic
• can be designed to minimise the impact with business in the area and the appropriate
on sensitive development areas. road function in the hierarchy to service that
traffic. Specific areas of concern are land
It is this latter objective that is highly use elements within which it is desirable to
significant to modern planning and an issue restrict traffic movements to those with direct
that can be significantly influenced by the business in the area. Boundaries of these
type and scale of traffic using various parts land use elements in existing areas may
of the road system. be partially defined by the existing major
road system and should recognise planned
The functional hierarchy also provides an facilities. Other features may also be used as
opportunity to address land use/transport boundaries with the aim of defining specific
deficiencies from a range of land use or areas which:
transport investment perspectives. • are relatively homogeneous in land use;
Road networks accommodate two types of • support the need for transport interactions
traffic movement namely; to be freely made;
• traffic with direct business in, or having
a direct relationship with an area being • have only that traffic necessary for the
considered. These movements include functioning of the area, i.e. they are free
access to, or circulation within, an area. of non-essential or through traffic; and
• traffic that has no direct business in, • have a balance between the volume of
or relationship with, the area under essential traffic and the nature of the
consideration. These movements are area, e.g. higher volumes might be more
sometimes referred to as “through” traffic acceptable in industrial areas than in
or “bypass” traffic. residential areas.
Travel is an activity derived from land use, For these reasons, it is important that the
so the structure of the land use is a major road planning processes are in harmony
determinant of the type and scale of travel with the strategic planning processes of
that occurs on individual road links. Because Local Government. Considerable liaison
the hierarchy is directly related to travel is required and the end result should be
function it follows that the road hierarchy achieved through an iterative process where
itself will be highly influenced by the structure appropriate compromises are made to
of the land use it serves. produce the best result.
If a land use structure is ill-defined or Useful guidance may also be found in the
inappropriate, the resulting pattern of travel Integrated Transport Planning Framework
and traffic functions will be confused and (Queensland Transport) which is a practical
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guide for integrating transport planning in It is important to take account of the whole
Queensland. road system when undertaking planning of
road corridors, and to ensure that the traffic
Roads, as noted earlier, serve a variety of using the various elements of the system
functions that range from the provision of is appropriate to the function of those
access to properties, pedestrian paths and elements.
bus routes to catering for through traffic.
Many roads serve more than one function Main Roads has four administrative
to varying degrees but it is clear that mixing classifications in its hierarchy of roads:
The way that a particular corridor accesses Figure 1.1 shows the four road sets for
higher order corridors and indeed the types of State-controlled roads. Table 1.2 shows
roads that access it can assist in establishing how the four (4) road sets fit into a general
its hierarchical status. functional classification and compares it with
other systems.
Austroads has defined a functional road
classification that has been used effectively While there is a high degree of compatibility
in assessing appropriate design standards between this administrative classification and
for the road network. the relevant functional classification, there is
not always a direct relationship between
In Queensland, the classification system them. For example, some District Roads
has changed with time as the type of roads have the characteristics of an arterial road
under the stewardship of Main Roads has and carry high volumes of traffic. In these
become more closely aligned with higher cases, planners and designers should adopt
order functions of the network. From an the appropriate standards for the function
overall planning point of view, the function of the road performs.
the road has more significance than who has
the administrative responsibility for it. National Highways and the State Strategic
Road Network function as the backbone of
Main Roads now has stewardship of roads the state’s road network, catering for long
of State significance and therefore does distance movements by linking the major
not have direct responsibility for local economic regions within and external to
and collector roads in general. However, Queensland. These roads have an important
exceptions to this do exist. role in providing transport linkages for the
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according to the four output areas for Main
Roads to demonstrate how the planning and the Road Planning and Design Manual must
design process meets these requirements. be used in deciding on the details of the
strategies and project proposals.
1.4.2 Road System Asset The Preconstruction Processes Manual
Management (Main Roads) details the process for
pre-construction activities as part of the
The Road System Manager concept Strategic Asset Management and Project
(formally the Strategic Framework for Road Management frameworks that apply to
System Asset Management) (Main Roads road infrastructure projects in Queensland.
2003a) represents the total process for Planners and Designers should be familiar
Main Roads’ direction setting, stewardship, with these documents and ensure that the
delivery and performance review of the state results of their work are in accord with the
controlled road system. It also represents requirements contained in them.
the important over-arching process for Main
Roads being a good road agency and a 1.4.3 Local Government Alliance
good government agency in delivering the
Queensland Government’s social, economic The Local Government Association of
and environmental objectives as defined in Queensland (LGAQ) and Main Roads have
“Roads Connecting Queenslanders”. The formed an alliance whose aim is to deliver an
framework references this broader role to improved regional road network by providing
ensure that the stewardship of the road an appropriate management framework
system is integrated with the overall transport that further consolidates and builds on the
and land use system, and stakeholder needs existing relationship between Main Roads
at all levels. and Local Governments. (MR & LGAQ,
2000) The desired outcome is to achieve
Main Road’s activities are encompassed in
the best possible regional road network for
the seven phases of the total process:
community and economic development in
• Phase 1 – Outcomes and Direction; Queensland. The focus, however, will be
on achieving integrated outcomes using
• Phase 2 – Road System Planning and practical strategies that deliver better roads
Stewardship (15+ years);
more efficiently, in the appropriate timeframe
• Phase 3 – Corridor Planning and and within available resources.
Stewardship (<15 years);
Roads included in the alliance are the lower
• Phase 4 – Program Development (<7 function state government controlled roads
years); and the higher function local government
controlled roads.
• Phase 5 – Program Delivery;
The investment strategies, timings and
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