USING HARD SHOULDERS ON AUTOBAHNS AS ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC LANES

There are sections of autobahns where, because of heavier traffic loads, roadways with traffic traveling in the same direction which previously had two or three traffic lanes and a hard shoulder, are re-marked with three or four narrower traffic lanes. As many as 300 traffic jams generally occurred on these sections of the autobahns each year; an expansion to create six or eight lanes is not planned in the near future. The aim of the investigation is to explore the development of accident occurrences, the quality of traffic operation and the impact on road maintenance and operating services. A road safety analysis, traffic operation evaluation, and road maintenance and operation services evaluation were undertaken.