Roadway Design & Engineering Flashcards
7 cards from real MTO practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Roadway Design & Engineering flashcards as text
What is the primary purpose of a superelevation on a curved roadway?
Answer: To counteract centrifugal force on vehicles
Superelevation tilts the roadway cross-section to counteract the centrifugal force acting on vehicles navigating a horizontal curve.
Which pavement marking indicates a no-passing zone on a two-lane road?
Answer: Double solid yellow lines
Double solid yellow lines indicate that passing is prohibited for traffic traveling in both directions.
What does the term 'clear zone' refer to in roadway design?
Answer: The unobstructed area beyond the travel lane for errant vehicles to recover
The clear zone is the unobstructed, traversable area beyond the edge of the travel lane that allows errant vehicles to recover or stop safely.
A 'sag vertical curve' connects two grades where:
Answer: The road descends then ascends
A sag vertical curve occurs at a low point where the roadway profile transitions from a downgrade to an upgrade.
What is the design standard purpose of a 'design vehicle'?
Answer: To determine geometric design elements like turn radii for the largest expected vehicle
A design vehicle is a selected vehicle whose dimensions and turning radius determine the geometric design criteria for roadway elements like intersection radii.
Which factor is NOT typically used to determine the design speed of a roadway?
Answer: Driver age demographics
Design speed is determined by terrain, functional classification, and surrounding land use—not by driver demographics.
What is the function of a median barrier on a divided highway?
Answer: To prevent cross-median crashes by containing errant vehicles
Median barriers are designed to contain and redirect vehicles that leave their lane, preventing high-severity cross-median crashes.