Road geometric design – Overview

The following resources provide guidance on the geometric design of roads and roadside facilities managed by Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors.

Benefit cost model and user guide – This tool is used to assist road geometric designers to evaluate options and optimize designs for return on investment.

CB-6 Highway Standard Plates – These documents provide drawings of standard elements used in highway design.

Design bulletins – Some updates to road geometric design practice that are not yet reflected in the guide can be found in the Design bulletins page.

Design exceptions – These are defined as instances where a designer has chosen or is requested to use a parameter, guideline, principle or product which is different from the currently published standards and/or practices.

Geometric roadway information – Details of geometric parameters for most of the highways in the province of Alberta. This data was collected using vehicle-based Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment in conjunction with either satellite-based real-time or post-processed Differential (DGPS) corrections.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: The calculated DGPS-based geometric parameter data reflect, and is limited by, the accuracy of the archived provincial highway network spatial data, which is then subject to the GPS hardware accuracy and error sources. Furthermore, horizontal curvature has been assumed to be "circular and tangent" in all cases rather than "circular, spiral and tangent". You are strongly encouraged to read the Background Report prior to using the data

Highway Geometric Design Guide – This guide promotes uniformity for highway design in Alberta and encourages the provision of safe and efficient roads for the well-being of the travelling public and society in general. The guide establishes uniform geometric design standards and procedures to carry out the highway design functions of Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors.

Roadside Design Guide – This guide provides highway designers with the necessary guidance to develop cost-effective roadside environments that meet the Province's safety objectives. This guide will also serve as a rudimentary reference for designers wishing to increase their knowledge in roadside design.

Hwy 2 HTCB Final Report – This report is the Safety and Cost Effectiveness Evaluation of a 135km Median High Tension Cable Barrier system on a rural high speed divided highway in Alberta, Canada. It is located off Highway 2 (Airdrie to Red Deer Alberta and Leduc area) High Tension Cable Barrier installed in 2010.