Arterial road
An arterial road or arterial thoroughfare is a high-capacity
In traffic engineering hierarchy, an arterial road delivers traffic between
Definition
The Traffic Engineering Handbook describes "Arterials" as being either principal or minor. Both classes serve to carry longer-distance flows between important centers of activity. Arterials are laid out as the backbone of a traffic network and should be designed to afford the highest level of service, as is practical, as per the aforementioned "Traffic Engineering Handbook".[4]
Development
The construction and development of arterial roads is achieved through two methods. By far the most common is the upgrading of an existing
Specifications
In North America,
The width of arterial roads can range from four lanes to ten or even more; either as a dual carriageway or sharing a common center lane, such as a contraflow lane or as a central turning lane.
Environmental issues
As with other roadway environmental consequences derive from arterial roadways, including air pollution generation, noise pollution and surface runoff of water pollutants. Air pollution generation from arterials can be rather concentrated, since traffic volumes can be relatively high, and traffic operating speeds are often low to moderate.[5] Sound levels can also be considerable due to moderately high traffic volumes characteristic of arterials, and also due to considerable braking and acceleration that often occur on arterials that are heavily signalized.[6]
See also
References
- ^ Road Function Classifications (PDF) (Report). U.S. Federal Highway Administration. November 2000.
- ^ "Mobility and transport: Road classification". European Commission.
- S2CID 159002874.
- ISBN 978-0-13-926791-8.
- Environmental Protection Agency.
- ISSN 0049-6979.
External links
- The dictionary definition of arterial road at Wiktionary