Horizontal Curve Identification and Evaluation

Project Details
STATUS

Completed

START DATE

01/01/10

END DATE

12/31/10

RESEARCH CENTERS InTrans, CTRE, MTC
SPONSORS

Iowa Department of Transportation

Researchers
Principal Investigator
Zachary Hans

Director, CWIMS

Co-Principal Investigator
Reginald Souleyrette

About the research

Horizontal curves are over-represented, high-frequency, high-severity crash locations. Significant opportunities exist to mitigate these crashes through relatively low-cost safety improvements such as paved shoulders, rumble strips/stripes, and improved signing and delineation.

However, the presence of horizontal curvature is not captured as part of the Iowa crash report and the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT)-maintained database of public roadways does not identify the locations of horizontal curvature. Therefore, it is currently difficult to identify the locations of curves systematically, and particularly high-crash curves and the characteristics of these curves.

The goal of this project was to expand the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) effort to systematically identify high-crash and potentially-problematic horizontal curves.

The primary objective of this project was to refine the previously-developed, preliminary, horizontal-curve database, allowing specific curve parameters to be extracted and evaluated system wide. This refinement facilitates identification of not only high-crash locations but candidate sites for low-cost safety improvements.

Secondary objectives include updating the high-crash curve list, evaluating the accuracy of the geometric parameter estimates and testing the sensitivity of safety performance to errors in curve parameters.


Funding Sources:
Iowa Department of Transportation ($25,000.00)
Total: $25,000.00

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