Geometric Design of Mountain Roads: special features and challenges

Abstract

Mountain roads have special features that arise from local and regional topographic, geological and geotechnical aspects, drainage and runoff, environmental and landscape, climatic and geographical, among other; that affect their location, layout and geometric design. The road design methodology itself unfailingly introduces the need for a final evaluation of the design in terms of the effects on the perspectives that the driver can appreciate while driving. Harmonizing all the particularities and factors is a true art. The successful conciliation of these factors will reveal the good judgment of the road designer who specializes in mountain roads. This work briefly describes the problems included in the geometric design of mountain roads and the challenges that designers must face during this type of work.