Development of an Online Roadway Geometry Design Software for Transportation Education and Training

Traditionally, students use pencil and ruler to lay out lines and curves over contour maps for roadway geometry design. Numerous calculations of stopping sight distance, minimum turning radius, and curve alignments are required during the roadway design process in order to ensure safety, to minimize economic and environmental impacts, as well as to reduce construction costs. Students usually perform iterative computations manually during the design process in order to meet any given design criteria and environmental constraints. The traditional process of roadway geometry design is often cumbersome and time consuming. The traditional approach limits students from taking a broader perspective of the overall roadway geometry design process. An Internet-based roadway design tool (ROAD: Roadway Online Application for Design) was developed to enhance the learning experience for transportation engineering students. This tool allows students to efficiently design and to easily modify the roadway design with given economic and environmental parameters. A 3D roadway geometry model can be generated by the software at final design to allow students immerse themselves in the driver’s seat and drive through the designed roadway at maximum design speed. This roadway geometry design tool was deployed in a civil engineering undergraduate class in 2006 and 2007 at Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota. Survey results from students indicated the ROAD software enhances their learning experiences in performing roadway geometry design.