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Research Report 106 Sealed vs unsealed road speeds – a study of speeds on sections of rural roads before and after seal extension

Published: | Category: Activity management , Research programme , Research & reports | Audience: General

A comparison of average vehicle speed on lengths of rural roads prior and subsequent to sealing extension works was undertaken during 1996 for 31 sites.

The results indicated speeds on unsealed roads are generally lower than those currently presumed in the Project evaluation manual (July 1994), and the effect of sealing 'as is' (no increase in carriageway width) also not as great as assumed.

A provisional replacement for table A7.1 is proposed for use when predicting increase in average travel speed when an unsealed road is sealed.

Keywords: sealed, unsealed, traffic speeds

Publication details

  • Author:
  • Published: 1998
  • Reference: 106