 | May 23, 2022 |
As a road construction engineer, Highway capacity is an essential topic that is integral and crucial to learning. As the word suggests, Highway capacity is the ability or capacity of a road to hold or accommodate a particular volume. Hence, Highway capacity is associated with traffic volume and traffic density. It refers to the hourly rate at a maximum where vehicles can cross a point on a highway at a given period. The traffic volume is usually conveyed in the form of cars per hour. Traffic density is expressed as vehicles per kilometer. In short, it is the number of vehicles accommodating the unit length of the highway at a given instant time.
Types of Highway Capacity
Basic Capacity: Under ideal conditions, the maximum number of vehicles or the volume can easily pass in an hour. It is framed and designed under the assumption that all vehicles pass on the highway or road at the same speed with minimum spacing.
Possible Capacity: When a particular period is considered, the number of vehicles or the volume can pass through under the prevailing conditions.
Practical Capacity: This is basically the number of vehicles that can pass on a roadway lane without much traffic, and at that particular time, the density is measured. It is usually the freedom the vehicles pass under the given control, roadway, and traffic conditions.
Factors affecting Highway Capacity
Several factors affect highway capacity, and various alterations are performed without damaging the existing structure. Let us see some of the factors affecting highway capacity.
Many such factors come into play affecting the highway capacity. New roadways or upgrading the existing ones to controlled freeway access is the primary solution to these factors.
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