Preliminary Roadway Alignment Design: A Spatial-Data Optimization Approach
Roadway planning and design is a very complex
process involving five key phases before a project is completed;
planning, project development, final design, right-of-way, and
construction. The planning phase for a new roadway transportation
project is a very critical phase as it greatly affects all latter phases of
the project. A location study is usually performed during the
preliminary planning phase in a new roadway project. The objective
of the location study is to develop alignment alternatives that are cost
efficient considering land acquisition and construction costs. This
paper describes a methodology to develop optimal preliminary
roadway alignments utilizing spatial-data. Four optimization criteria
are taken into consideration; roadway length, land cost, land slope,
and environmental impacts. The basic concept of the methodology is
to convert the proposed project area into a grid, which represents the
search space for an optimal alignment. The aforementioned
optimization criteria are represented in each of the grid’s cells. A
spatial-data optimization technique is utilized to find the optimal
alignment in the search space based on the four optimization criteria.
Two case studies for new roadway projects in Duval County in the
State of Florida are presented to illustrate the methodology. The
optimization output alignments are compared to the proposed Florida
Department of Transportation (FDOT) alignments. The comparison is
based on right-of-way costs for the alignments. For both case studies,
the right-of-way costs for the developed optimal alignments were
found to be significantly lower than the FDOT alignments.
[1] 1. Jha, M.K. A Geographic Information Systems-based Model for
Highway Design Optimization. Ph.D. dissertation, University of
Maryland, College Park, 2000.aW.-K. Chen, Linear Networks and
Systems (Book style). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1993, pp. 123–135.
[2] 2. Garber, N.J., and L.A. Hoel. Traffic and highway engineering, 2nd
edition. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, California, 1999.
[3] 3. Jong, J.C. Optimizing Highway Alignments with Genetic
Algorithms. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Maryland, College Park,
1998.
[4] Kalamaras, G.S., L. Brino, G. Carrieri, C. Pline, and P. Grasso.
Application of Multi-criteria Analysis to Select the Best Highway
Alignment. Journal of Tunneling and Underground Space Technology,
Vol. 15 (4), 2000, pp. 415-420.
[5] Jha, M.K., and P. Schonfeld. Integrating Genetic Algorithms and
Geographic Information System to Optimize Highway Alignments. In
Transportation Research Record: A Journal of the Transportation
Research Board, No 1719, TRB, National Research Council,
Washington, D.C., 2000, pp. 233-240.
[6] Jha, M. K., Using a Geographic Information System for Automated
Decision Making in Highway Cost Analysis. In Transportation Research
Record: A Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No 1768,
TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2001, pp. 260-267.
[7] Jha, M.K. and P. Schonfeld. Geographic Information System-based
Analysis of Right-of-Way Cost for Highway Optimization. In
Transportation Research Record: A Journal of the Transportation
Research Board, No 1719, TRB, National Research Council,
Washington, D.C, 2001, pp. 241-249.
[8] Jong, J.C. and P.Schonfeld. An Evolutionary Model for Simultaneously
Optimizing Three-dimensional Highway Alignments. In Transportation
Research Record: A Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No
B37, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C, 2003, pp. 107-
128.
[9] AASHTO. A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets.
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials,
Washington, D.C., 2001.
[1] 1. Jha, M.K. A Geographic Information Systems-based Model for
Highway Design Optimization. Ph.D. dissertation, University of
Maryland, College Park, 2000.aW.-K. Chen, Linear Networks and
Systems (Book style). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 1993, pp. 123–135.
[2] 2. Garber, N.J., and L.A. Hoel. Traffic and highway engineering, 2nd
edition. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, California, 1999.
[3] 3. Jong, J.C. Optimizing Highway Alignments with Genetic
Algorithms. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Maryland, College Park,
1998.
[4] Kalamaras, G.S., L. Brino, G. Carrieri, C. Pline, and P. Grasso.
Application of Multi-criteria Analysis to Select the Best Highway
Alignment. Journal of Tunneling and Underground Space Technology,
Vol. 15 (4), 2000, pp. 415-420.
[5] Jha, M.K., and P. Schonfeld. Integrating Genetic Algorithms and
Geographic Information System to Optimize Highway Alignments. In
Transportation Research Record: A Journal of the Transportation
Research Board, No 1719, TRB, National Research Council,
Washington, D.C., 2000, pp. 233-240.
[6] Jha, M. K., Using a Geographic Information System for Automated
Decision Making in Highway Cost Analysis. In Transportation Research
Record: A Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No 1768,
TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 2001, pp. 260-267.
[7] Jha, M.K. and P. Schonfeld. Geographic Information System-based
Analysis of Right-of-Way Cost for Highway Optimization. In
Transportation Research Record: A Journal of the Transportation
Research Board, No 1719, TRB, National Research Council,
Washington, D.C, 2001, pp. 241-249.
[8] Jong, J.C. and P.Schonfeld. An Evolutionary Model for Simultaneously
Optimizing Three-dimensional Highway Alignments. In Transportation
Research Record: A Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No
B37, TRB, National Research Council, Washington, D.C, 2003, pp. 107-
128.
[9] AASHTO. A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets.
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials,
Washington, D.C., 2001.
@article{"International Journal of Architectural, Civil and Construction Sciences:69933", author = "Y. Abdelrazig and R. Moses", title = "Preliminary Roadway Alignment Design: A Spatial-Data Optimization Approach", abstract = "Roadway planning and design is a very complex
process involving five key phases before a project is completed;
planning, project development, final design, right-of-way, and
construction. The planning phase for a new roadway transportation
project is a very critical phase as it greatly affects all latter phases of
the project. A location study is usually performed during the
preliminary planning phase in a new roadway project. The objective
of the location study is to develop alignment alternatives that are cost
efficient considering land acquisition and construction costs. This
paper describes a methodology to develop optimal preliminary
roadway alignments utilizing spatial-data. Four optimization criteria
are taken into consideration; roadway length, land cost, land slope,
and environmental impacts. The basic concept of the methodology is
to convert the proposed project area into a grid, which represents the
search space for an optimal alignment. The aforementioned
optimization criteria are represented in each of the grid’s cells. A
spatial-data optimization technique is utilized to find the optimal
alignment in the search space based on the four optimization criteria.
Two case studies for new roadway projects in Duval County in the
State of Florida are presented to illustrate the methodology. The
optimization output alignments are compared to the proposed Florida
Department of Transportation (FDOT) alignments. The comparison is
based on right-of-way costs for the alignments. For both case studies,
the right-of-way costs for the developed optimal alignments were
found to be significantly lower than the FDOT alignments.", keywords = "Optimization, planning, roadway alignment, FDOT.", volume = "9", number = "5", pages = "602-5", }