THE ROAD IN RELATION TO TRAFFIC REQUIREMENT--ROUMANIA

THE INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER OF THIS REPORT CONTAINS AN OUTLINE OF THE PRINCIPLES AND MEASURES ADOPTED IN THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ROUMANIA TO ENSURE A CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT IN TRAFFIC MOVEMENT ON THE WHOLE OF THE NATIONAL ROAD NETWORK, IN ORDER THAT IT SHOULD ALWAYS BE TECHNICALLY EQUAL TO INCREASING SPEEDS AND TRAFFIC INTENSITY. PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED ENVISAGING THE CONTINUOUS AND STEADY MODERNIZATION OF PUBLIC ROADS, THE ELIMINATION OF DANGEROUS PARTS (BLACK SPOTS), RESTRICTING SPEED IN THE ALREADY MODERNIZED SECTOR, THE CONSTRUCTION OF SPLIT-LEVEL INTERSECTIONS, THE CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONAL ROADS IN THOSE SECTORS WHERE THE TRAFFIC HAS ALREADY REACHED SATURATION POINT, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF MOTORWAYS. PARTICULAR REFERENCE IS MADE TO THE STUDIES NECESSARY TO ESTABLISH THE MAIN OUTLINE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTENDED MOTORWAY NETWORK IN ROUMANIA, WHICH WILL FINALLY HAVE A TOTAL LENGTH OF 3,000 KM. THE REPORT CONCERNS ESSENTIALLY THE GEOMETRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ROADS; IT PRESENTS THE OFFICIAL SPECIFICATIONS CONCERNING THE TECHNICAL CLASSIFICATION OF ROADS AND THE DESIGN SPEED ADOPTED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW ROADS AND MOTORWAYS AS WELL AS FOR MODERNIZED ROADS. IT CONTAINS THE GEOMETRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LAYOUT, LONGITUDINAL AND CROSS-SECTIONS OF ROADS, AS WELL AS THOSE OF THE CROSS-SECTION OF MOTORWAYS. CONSIDERATION CONCERNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CENTRAL RESERVATION AND CENTRAL SAFETY BARRIERS ARE ALSO INCLUDED IN THE REPORT. THE BASIC HYPOTHESES ARE OUTLINED, QUOTING THE RESPECTIVE PARAMETERS ON WHICH ARE CALCULATED THE HOURLY FLOW-RATE ACCORDING TO THE LEVEL OF SERVICE IN SPECIFIC ROUMANIA CONDITIONS. THE REPORT ALSO DEALS WITH THE ADVISABILITY OF AN EMERGENCY STOPPING LANE ON ROADS AND MOTORWAYS AND INDICATES THE SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED IN ROUMANIA TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. THE TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROAD INTERSECTIONS SUCH AS CROSS-ROADS OR INTERCHANGES ARE LAID DOWN, AS WELL AS THE CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROAD-RAIL CROSSINGS. THE LAST PART OF THE REPORT DEALS WITH GENERAL ROAD FACILITIES AND DISCUSSES THE PROBLEM OF SIGNALLING, MARKINGS, RAILS AND SAFETY BARRIERS, GUIDE POSTS AND DITCHES. REFERENCE IS ALSO MADE TO THE SOLUTIONS ADOPTED IN ROUMANIA TO PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE PLACING OF BUS STOPS AND PARKING AREAS, AND THE INFLUENCE THAT THEIR POSITIONING WOULD HAVE ON THE GENERAL SAFETY OF THE TRAFFIC.