Highway Eng.

Widening on Horizontal Curves

14 15

Travelled Way Widening on Horizontal Curves

In this lecture;
--------------------A- Definition and justifications.
B- Formula & calculations.
C- Application of Widening.

The information listed in this lecture is mainly taken from the Policy on Geometric Design of
Highways and Streets (AASHTO, 2011), Iraqi Highway Design Manual (SORB, 2005) and
Traffic and Highway Engineering (Garber and Hoel, 2009).

Travelled Way Widening on Horizontal Curves

A- Definition and Justifications.
The travelled way on horizontal curves is sometimes widened to make operating
conditions on curves similar to those on tangents. The added width occupied by the
vehicle as it traverses the curve as compared with the width of the travelled way on
tangent can be computed by geometry for any combination of radius and
wheelbase.

Widening is needed on certain curves for one of the following reasons: (1) the
design vehicle (especially larger ones) occupies a greater width because the rear
wheels do not follow precisely the same path as the front wheels (offtracking) when
the vehicle traverses a horizontal curve or makes a turn, or (2) drivers experience
difficulty in steering their vehicles in the centre of the lane.

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Dr. Firas Asad

Highway Eng.

Widening on Horizontal Curves

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B- Widening Formula & Calculations

The amount of widening w of the travelled way on a horizontal curve is the
difference between the width needed on the curve Wc and the width used on a
tangent Wn:

-- w = Wc - Wn
w = widening of travelled way on curve, m;
Wc = width of travelled way on curve, m;
Wn = width of travelled way on tangent, m

The

travelled

way

width

needed on a curve (Wc) has

several components related to
operation on curves (see the
adjacent figure).

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Dr. Firas Asad

Highway Eng.

Widening on Horizontal Curves

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--Wc = N(U + C) + (N - 1) FA + Z
where:
N = number of lanes (per direction for divided Hwy.);
U = track width of design vehicle (out-to-out tires), m;
C = lateral clearance, m;
FA = width of front overhang of inner-lane vehicle, m;
Z = extra width allowance, m

As shown in the formula above, the travelled way width needed on a curve (Wc) has
several components related to operation on curves, including: the track width of
each vehicle meeting or passing, U; the lateral clearance for each vehicle, C; width of
front overhang of the vehicle occupying the inner lane or lanes, FA; and a width
allowance for the difficulty of driving on curves, Z.
To determine width Wc, it is necessary to select an appropriate design vehicle. The
design vehicle should usually be a truck because offtracking is much greater for
trucks than for passenger cars. The WB-15 design vehicle is considered
representative for two-lane open-highway conditions.
The track width (U) for a vehicle following a curve or making a turn, also known as
the swept path width, is the sum of the track width on tangent (u) (2.44 or 2.59 m
depending on the design vehicle) and the amount of offtracking.
U = u + R -

U = track width on curve, m;

u = track width on tangent (out to-out of tires), m;
R = radius of curve or turn, m; and
Li = wheelbase of design vehicle between consecutive
axles and articulation points, m.
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Dr. Firas Asad

Highway Eng.

Widening on Horizontal Curves

14 15

The offtracking depends on the radius of the curve or turn, the number and location
of articulation points, and the lengths of the wheelbases between axles. The track
width on a curve (U) is calculated using the equation:
The lateral clearance allowance, C, provides for the clearance between the edge of
the travelled way and nearest wheel path and for the body clearance between
vehicles passing or meeting. Lateral clearance per vehicle is assumed to be 0.6, 0.75,
and 0.9 m for tangent lane widths Wn, equal to 6.0, 6.6, and 7.2 m respectively.
The width of the front overhang (FA) is the radial distance between the outer edge of
the tire path of the outer front wheel and the path of the outer front edge of the
vehicle body. For curves and turning roadways, FA depends on the radius of the
curve R, the extent of the front overhang of the design vehicle A, and the wheelbase
of the unit itself L. In the case of tractor-trailer combinations, only the wheelbase of
the tractor unit is used.
FA = + ( + ) - R

A = front overhang of inner lane vehicle, m;

L = wheelbase of single unit or tractor, m.

The extra width allowance (Z) is an additional radial width of pavement to allow for
the difficulty of manoeuvring on a curve and the variation in driver operation. This
additional width is an empirical value that varies with the speed of traffic and the
radius of the curve. The additional width allowance is expressed as:
Z = 0.1 ( V/ )

V = design speed of the highway, km/h.

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Dr. Firas Asad

Highway Eng.

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Widening on Horizontal Curves

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14 15

Dr. Firas Asad

Highway Eng.

Widening on Horizontal Curves

14 15

C- Application of Widening.
1- On simple (unspiraled) curves, widening should be applied on the inside edge of
the travelled way only. On curves designed with spirals, widening may be applied on
the inside edge or divided equally on either side of the centreline. In either case, the
final marked centreline and any central longitudinal joint should be placed midway
between the edges of the widened travelled way.
2- Curve widening should transition gradually over a length sufficient to make the
whole of the travelled way fully usable. Preferably, widening should transition over
the superelevation runoff length, but shorter lengths are sometimes used. Changes
in width normally should be effected over a distance of 30 to 60 m.
It is suggested that a minimum
widening of 0.6 m be used

WB-15 design Vehicle

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Dr. Firas Asad