Highway design guidelines

Notes: These questions apply to both the development of new highways, such as those in residential estates, and the redevelopment of existing highways.

 

Question 1

What highway design guidelines or standards does the council use and where?

(Please mark the appropriate box)

Road / street type Council’s own highway guidelines Council’s own highway standards DMRB[1] Manual for Streets Manual for Streets 2

Other

(please specify)

Arterial road     Y      
Distributor / connector road     Y      
Relief / ring road     Y      
Avenue / boulevard         Y  
High / main street         Y  
Mixed-use street         Y  
Residential street         Y  
Rural roads and lanes           Improvement/alteration works to existing infrastructure will be referenced to MfS/DMRB based on existing gemoetry, risk based approach.
Village street           Improvement/alteration works to existing infrastructure will be referenced to MfS/DMRB based on existing gemoetry, risk based approach

 

Comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 2

If the council has its own documented / published highway design guidelines and/or standards, please provide a link or an electronic copy thereof.

Comment

 

 

 

N/a

 

 

Question 3

How does the council classify its road / street network?

(Please mark the appropriate box)

Y Arterial, distributor / connector, access / local (or similar)
 
  Avenue, main street, high street, mixed-use, residential, mews (or similar)
 
  Other, please specify:

 

Comment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 4

For the following aspects of Manual for Streets and Manual for Streets 2, please select the most appropriate option:

(Please mark the appropriate box)

Required by Council Encouraged by Council Permitted by Council Discouraged by Council Prohibited by Council Not applicable
LAYOUT AND CONNECTIVITY

Permeable or connected street layouts

MfS: 4.2.3 / MfS2: 1.2; 2.5

Y

Direct frontage access on 30mph roads with up to 10 000 vehicles per day (e.g. distributor / collector roads in built up areas)

MfS: 4.2.3; 7.9 / MfS2: 9.10

Y
CARRIAGEWAYS

20mph design speeds or lower for residential streets

MfS: 7.2; 7.4.2

Y

20mph design speeds for streets with significant pedestrian activity, such as high streets or main streets

MfS2: 8.2

Y

30mph design speeds or lower for other streets in urban areas

MfS2: 8.2

Y

MfS recommended horizontal alignment[2]

MfS2: 8.3

Y

MfS recommended stopping sight distances

MfS: 7.5 / MfS: 10.1 – 2

Y Y

Restricted forward visibility to reduce vehicle speeds

MfS: 7.8 / MfS2: 10.3

Y

MfS recommended junction visibility splays

MfS 7.7 / MfS2: 10.4 – 7

Y Y

MfS recommended carriageway and lane widths

MfS: 5.2.4; 7.2 / MfS2: 8.6

Y
JUNCTIONS AND CROSSINGS

Tight corner radii at side / minor road junctions (under 2m)

MfS: 6.3.12 – 13 / MfS2: 9.3.14;9.4.10 – 13; 9.8.6

Y

Tight corner radii at other junctions (under 6m)

MfS2: 9.4.10

Y Y

On streets with low traffic flows and speeds, large vehicles, such as bin lorries, can use the full carriageway width to turn (i.e. cross into the oncoming lane)

MfS: 6.8.1; 6.3.13 / MfS2: 9.4.11

Y

Pedestrian crossings placed on or close to the desire line

MfS: 6.3.9; 6.3.12; 7.3.6 / MfS2: 9.3.2

Y

Side road entry treatments (e.g. raised crossings across the mouth of minor road junctions, preferably on the pedestrian desire line)

MfS: 6.3.15; 6.3.16 / MfS 2: 9.3.14

Y

Departures from conventional DMRB roundabout designs, such as compact, continental-style or mini-roundabouts

MfS: 7.3.12 – 16 / MfS2: 9.6 – 7

Y

Use of crossroads at junctions

MfS: 7.3.8 / MfS2: 9.4.4 – 5

Y
PEDESTRIAN NEEDS AND FOOTWAYS

A minimum footway width of 2m

MfS 6.3.22 – 23

Y

At vehicle crossovers, footways with at least a 900 mm minimum width at normal footway crossfall (2.5% max.)

MfS: 6.3.28 – 30 / MfS 2: 9.4.14-15

  Y

Comment

 

 

 

Development Management comments are provided on a case-by-case basis, which can be influenced by existing circumstances or extant uses for a site/parcel. In the event new estate roads or even settlements are being constructed, the proposed layout will initially or on occasions remain private in perpetuity. Therefore, whilst DCC can advise and discourage such design practices, we cannot recommend a refusal for them if the issue were to be within private land/responsibility. This could, however, lead to future adoption issues should the applicant/developer wish to offer it up for adoption to DCC through the s38 process in the future.

 

 

[1] Design Manual for Roads and Bridges

[2] Parameters for horizontal curves, including minimum desirable curve radii.