This section provides an overview of CSS. What it is and how it can help to shape transportation projects around the country. Feel free to browse through the topics below or search for a particular page by entering a keyword in the search box below or clicking on "Advanced Search."
3R projects focus primarily on the preservation and extension of the service life of existing facilities and on safety.
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Types of Highway Improvement Projects There are four basic types of physical improvement projects, some of which must comply with standards and others that do not have to comply. These types of improvement projects are discussed in the following paragraphs. more...
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Flexibility in Highway Design
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Cross-Section: Restricted Right-of-Way "Many roads currently exist that were not built to today's standards. These roads
may be located in restricted right-of-way corridors that have scenic or historic
resources adjacent to the roadway. It is necessary to try to avoid impacting these
resources when considering highway improvements." more...
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Flexibility in Highway Design
Case Study
Historic Columbia River Parkway Columbia River Gorge, OR
The first paved highway in the northwestern United States, the Columbia River Highway was conceived, designed, and constructed as both a scenic attraction and as a means of facilitating economic development along the Columbia River corridor between the Pacific Ocean and the areas to the east of the Cascade Mountains. The history of the development, decline, and continuing rebirth of the Columbia River Highway is particularly instructive to the highway engineering community as we approach the beginning of a new century and a future of increasing reliance on the rehabilitation and restoration of existing infrastructure instead of the construction of new highways. This study also illustrates the manner in which state and local governments can preserve and enhance existing highways that possess unique scenic and historic qualities within the framework of modern design criteria.
Case Study
Carson Street Reconstruction Torrance, CA
Carson Street is a major east-west arterial street running through the middle of the city of Torrance, CA. High levels of traffic congestion on the original four-lane undivided cross sections and the absence of left-turn lanes were responsible for a high rate of accidents on this predominately residential street. After roadway improvements, curb, gutter, and sidewalks were added along both sides of the entire project to provide improved roadway drainage and to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. However, it's the improvement to the general aesthetics of the street, including the undergrounding of utilities, that is a major distinguishing feature of the project.
Case Study
US route 6-Brooklyn, CT Brooklyn, CT
U.S. Route 6 is the primary regional arterial carrying east-west traffic between Hartford, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island, and it passes through the Town of Brooklyn about half way between the two cities. Problems to be addressed included replacement of the pavement that had deteriorated due to heavy truck traffic, improvements to the alignment to address safety problems, and improvements to the cross section to facilitate safe operations. Connecticut DOT staff used visualization techniques for one of the first times to help depict designs and discuss alternatives with the townspeople.
Case Study
Merritt Parkway: Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich, CT
Much has been written and reported about the safety improvements and landscape restoration of the Merritt Parkway which started in the 1990s in Greenwich, Connecticut, a unique community that shaped the approach that was ultimately taken to improve this roadway. The community's influence started long before any formal design process was undertaken, and in fact, and was instrumental in motivating the context sensitive design approach (although not called such at the time). Overall this project can be considered an excellent example of how a road represents so much more to a community than simply a transportation conduit. The future of this roadway was community driven and while the DOT provided the leadership and expertise to accomplish the improvements, their use of other professionals, such as landscape architects and historians, improved the final result. This case study focuses on the initial context sensitive design process which preceded the first improvements to the highway and revitalization of the setting.
Case Study
Odense Town Center, Denmark Odense,
"In connection with Odense's 1000th years' anniversary in 1988 a number of new developments were inaugurated in the town centre: pedestrian streets, a bus street, and a bicycle route network. This has given the already lively town centre a significant lift, has stimulated the activity in the area, and has markedly improved the visual environment."
