TITLE:
A Novel GIS Approach for Locating No-Passing Zones and Assessing Passing Sight Distance on Two-Lane, Two-Way Highways: A Case Study of MO Route 5 in the State of Missouri, USA
AUTHORS:
Azad Abdulhafedh
KEYWORDS:
GIS Viewsheds, Passing Sight Distance, No-Passing Zones, AASHTO Criteria for Passing Maneuver
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.10 No.7,
July
25,
2023
ABSTRACT: On two-lane, two-way highways faster vehicles frequently overtake slower moving vehicles. In order to secure a safe passing maneuver, the passing driver should be able to see a sufficient distance ahead, clear of traffic, to complete the passing maneuver without cutting off the passed vehicle before meeting an opposing vehicle. This is called the minimum recommended passing sight distance ahead, which is considered as an important factor in the marking of passing zones and no-passing zones along two-lane, two-way highways. In this paper, a novel Geographic Information System (GIS)-based viewshed analysis is developed to assess existing passing sight distances on two-lane, two-way highways using the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) criteria. This new approach is extremely beneficial in that passing sight distance can be rapidly estimated for highways over a large geographic extent without using the traditional field methods, such as the two-vehicle method or putting personnel at risk. The developed method was applied to evaluate passing sight distance on Missouri Route-5, a two-lane, two-way highway in the state of Missouri, USA. The results indicate that the developed approach provides a precise assessment of passing sight distance, and effectively locates the passing zones and no-passing zones along the highway.