Flexibility in Highway Design

An important concept in highway design is that every project is unique. The setting and character of the area, the values of the community, the needs of the highway users, and the challenges and opportunities are unique factors that designers must consider with each highway project. Whether the design to be developed is for a modest safety improvement or 10 miles of new-location rural freeway, there are no patented solutions. For each potential project, designers are faced with the task of balancing the need for the highway improvement with the need to safely integrate the design into the surrounding natural and human environments.

This Guide illustrates the flexibility already available to designers within adopted State standards. These standards, often based on the AASHTO Green Book, allow designers to tailor their designs to the particular situations encountered in each highway project. Often, these standards alone provide enough flexibility to achieve a harmonious design that both meets the objectives of the project and is sensitive to the surrounding environment. To order this document, contact:

Jacqueline Jenkins
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Environment and Planning
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
(202) 366-0106
Jacqueline.Jenkins@fhwa.dot.gov