Road Design

The Guide to Road Design provides valuable guidance to designers in the production of safe, economical and efficient road designs. The Guide covers specific aspects of the design process and deals with the geometric elements of the road, together with drainage and roadside considerations.

Although local conditions and circumstances may sometimes require unique or innovative approaches to design, the bulk of works can be well accommodated by the approach outlined in the Guide to Road Design. The Guide recognises that the design of roads should be based on the capabilities and behaviour of all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, and on the performance and characteristics of vehicles.

The Guide to Road Design comprises:

• Part 1: Objectives of Road Design (PDF)
• Part 2: Network Wide Design (under development)
• Part 3: Geometric Design (PDF | Online)
• Part 4: Intersections and Crossings - General (PDF)
• Part 4A: Unsignalised and Signalised Intersections (PDF)
• Part 4B: Roundabouts (PDF)
• Part 4C: Interchanges (PDF)
• Part 5: Drainage – General and Hydrology Considerations (PDF)
• Part 5A: Drainage – Road Surface, Networks, Basins and Subsurface (PDF)
• Part 5B: Drainage: Open Channels, Culverts and Floodway Crossings (PDF)
• Part 6: Roadside Design, Safety and Barriers (PDF )
• Part 6A: Pedestrian and Cyclist Paths (PDF | Online)
• Part 6B: Roadside Environment (PDF | Online)
• Part 7: New and Emerging Treatments (PDF)

The content of Part 2: Design Considerations and Part 8: Process and Documentation were incorporated into Part 1: Objectives of Road Design in March 2021.

The webinar below provides an overview of the new parts 1 and 7 and explains the links to other Austroads guides as well as jurisdictional supplements.