Flexibility in Highway Design

This Guide, “Flexibility in Highway Design,” is about designing highways that incorporate community values and are safe, efficient, effective mechanisms for the movement of people and goods. It is written for highway engineers and project managers who want to learn more about the flexibility available to them when designing roads and illustrates successful approaches used in other highway projects. It can also be used by citizens who want to gain a better understanding of the highway design process. Congress, in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 and the National Highway System Designation (NHS) Act of 1995, maintained a strong national commitment to safety and mobility. Congress also made a commitment to preserving and protecting the environmental and cultural values affected by transportation facilities. The challenge to the highway design community is to find design solutions, as well as operational options, that result in full consideration of these sometimes conflicting objectives. To help meet that challenge, this Guide has been prepared for the purpose of provoking innovative thinking for fully considering the scenic, historic, aesthetic, and other cultural values, along with the safety and mobility needs, of our highway transportation system.