How wide is a standard highway lane?
1 Answers
On highways, the standard width of a single lane is generally 3.75 meters, while the emergency stopping lane is 3.5 meters wide. The national standards specify the width of each motor vehicle lane on highways. For multi-lane roads above Grade III, each motor vehicle lane should be 3.5 to 3.75 meters wide. Highways are classified as high-grade roads. According to the "Technical Standards for Highway Engineering" by the Ministry of Transport of China, a highway is defined as "a road designed to accommodate an average daily traffic volume of more than 25,000 passenger cars, exclusively for high-speed, divided-lane vehicle travel, with full access control." The width of each toll lane at a highway toll station is 2.5 meters, and an extra-wide toll lane of 3.5 meters or more must be provided when necessary. Highways are categorized based on technical grade, ranking above Grade I, Grade II, Grade III, Grade IV, and substandard roads. The highway pavement includes main lanes, ramps, and auxiliary lanes. The main lanes, or carriageways, are divided from left to right into overtaking lanes, fast lanes, and slow lanes, depending on the number of lanes. Ramps come in various complex forms, including interchange ramps, acceleration lanes, deceleration lanes, approach lanes, collector-distributor lanes, and turning ramps, based on their specific functions. Auxiliary lanes include emergency lanes, U-turn lanes, climbing lanes, escape ramps, and cooling pool lanes. Some highways retain the functions of ordinary roads by providing parallel service roads on both sides of the main lanes. In addition to the pavement lanes, highways also consist of foundational structures such as roadbeds, embankment slopes, side ditches, and shoulders.
