6.2 Rural Design Elements

6.2.1 General Characteristics

Two-lane collectors are an important part of the rural highway system in that they provide connectivity between local roads and streets with arterials. They should be designed with the most favorable horizontal alignment, profile, and cross section practical that is consistent with traffic volume and topography.
The basic information needed for the design of rural collectors include:
  • Crash History;
  • Current and Projected Traffic Volumes;
  • Terrain; and
  • Horizontal and vertical alignment.

6.2.2 Typical Sections

Rural collector example typical sections are shown in
Figure 6-1
through
Figure 6-5
below. The geometric dimensions shown in these sections represent examples of different conditions and may be adjusted in accordance with
Section 6.1
.
Selection of the appropriate cross-section is important for optimal safety and operational performance. See
Sections 7.2.2
and
7.2.5
in the Arterials Chapter for additional guidelines on selecting cross-sections for rural highways.
Rural Typical Section – 2 Lane ( click in image to see full-size image)
Figure 6-1: Rural Typical Section – 2 Lane
Rural Typical Section – 2 Lanes with SUP ( click in image to see full-size image)
Figure 6-2: Rural Typical Section – 2 Lanes with SUP
Rural Typical Section – Multilane Undivided w/ Median Buffer ( click in image to see full-size image)
Figure 6-3: Rural Typical Section – Multilane Undivided w/ Median Buffer
Rural Typical Section – Multilane Divided (4 Lanes) ( click in image to see full-size image)
Figure 6-4: Rural Typical Section – Multilane Divided (4 Lanes)
Rural Typical Section – Multilane Undivided with TWLTL ( click in image to see full-size image)
Figure 6-5: Rural Typical Section – Multilane Undivided with TWLTL