Page:Toll Roads and Free Roads.pdf/76

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TOLL ROADS AND FREE ROADS

erection, and location of signs. Generally the signs would be much larger than those recommended in the manual so that they could be read at greater distances; and those intended to give notice of the approach to access points would be erected in multiple so that drivers would be informed repeatedly of the facility ahead some time before reaching it. The character of the road should obviate the necessity for a multiplicity of warning signs. All signs would be lighted or of the reflecting type so as to be easily readable at night.

LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT

The roadside and slopes would be protected against erosion largely by the use of flat and rounded slopes. Additional protection would be given by topsoiling and seeding to produce vegetative cover suited to location, soil, and climate.

The roadsides would be planted under the supervision of landscape architects with the general objective of giving a pleasing appearance and making the new construction fit into the surrounding landscape.

Only native trees and shrubs that require little or no maintenance would be planted. They would be arranged naturally in groups at some distance from the pavement so as not to present secondary hazards to cars out of control.

The desirability of providing roadside parks, picnic areas, and other facilities inviting drivers to stop and rest must be determined by future policy. Facilities that would invite short-trip traffic and make the long trips more pleasant would build up public good will and might add appreciably to the revenues collected.

FENCING AND PROTECTION OF RIGHT-OF-WAY

Protection from encroachment is necessary on a toll road. Both sides of the road would have to be fenced except where steep slopes, dense forests, canyons or other natural conditions give the needed protection. The type of fence required will depend upon local conditions.

DETAIL OF ROUTES DIAGRAMMED THROUGHOUT

The standards of design described in the foregoing pages have been applied in detail to the approximate route locations as fixed on the large-scale maps, and all design decisions necessary for an estimate of cost have been made in great detail. Such decisions have been recorded in tables for the entire mileage of the selected routes. Straight-line diagrams of the tabulated data for portions of the mileage, representative of various sections of the country, are shown in plates 34 to 45.

On each of these diagrams the section of the selected routes covered is represented by a central line or lines. A single line indicates that the pavement designed for the particular section is two lanes wide; double lines indicate sections that would be constructed with divided four-lane pavements. Scaled distances along the central line or lines represent the lengths of continuous sections of each width of pavement; and at properly scaled intervals the positions of all cross roads, intersecting railroads, rivers, State and county lines, and other significant features of the locations as fixed are symbolically indicated.