Overview

For the purposes of this section, a highway is considered a conduit that carries vehicular traffic from one location to another. Highway engineering deals with provisions for meeting public needs for highways; environmental impact of highways; budgeting, planning, design, construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of highways; access to and exit from highways; economics and financing of highway construction; traffic control; and safety of those using or affected by the use of highways.

Highway engineering is continually evolving and improving. Many of the basic design techniques employed are the same today as they were fifty or more years ago. However, numerous incremental improvements have been made to provide safer, more efficient highway designs that prove less costly over the life cycle of a highway Further, in today s culture of minimizing the highway s impact on the environment and society as a whole, a great deal of extra effort and time is expended to develop the final highway design. Improved design methodologies and construction materials, enhanced analysis techniques and the use of computer-assisted design and drafting have significantly improved the overall quality and thoroughness of the resultant design, plans, and the roadway itself. Community involvement in the decision making process and associated environmental review processes help to ensure that a context sensitive design is developed and implemented that addresses the entire spectrum of highway users and uses including access management and economic development. New concepts such as Intelligent Transportation Systems and Maintenance (ITSM), Pavement Management...