road safety inspection kohalpur_harre_ratna highway

Government of Nepal

Ministry of Physical Infrastructure & Transport

Department of Roads

Road and Traffic Unit

Final Report ROAD SAFETY INSPECTION

(Koholpur Harre Section of Ratna Highway)

Submitted by:

GRID CONSULT P. Ltd

224 Suruchi Marg, Shankhamul-34, Kathmandu

Tel:977-1-4784515/977-1-4784803

2015

Road Safety Inspection/Ratna Highway (Koholpur-Harre Section)

Page i Grid Consult Road & Traffic Unit

TABLE CONTENT

Table Content ..................................................................................................................................................... i

Executive summary ........................................................................................................................................... iv

Acknowledgement ............................................................................................................................................. vi

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1

Background ........................................................................................................................................................ 1

Road Safety Inspection ...................................................................................................................................... 2

Objectives of RSI ............................................................................................................................................... 3

Steps of RSI procedures .................................................................................................................................... 3

Scope of the work .............................................................................................................................................. 4

CHAPTER 2. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 5

Preparatory work at office .................................................................................................................................. 5

On-site field visit................................................................................................................................................. 5

Report preparation ............................................................................................................................................. 5

CHAPTER 3. REVIEW OF ROAD SAFETY DOCUMENTS ......................................................................... 7

3.1 Road Safety Audit Manual ........................................................................................................................... 7

Road safety Note 2: Designing Safe side drains ................................................................................................ 9

Road Safety Note 5: Delineation measures ....................................................................................................... 9

Road Safety Note 6: Safety Barriers ............................................................................................................... 10

Road Safety Note 7: Safety at bridges ............................................................................................................. 10

CHAPTER 4. BASIC TOPICS FOR ROAD SAFETY INSPECTION .......................................................... 11

CHAPTER 5. ROAD SAFETY ISSUES OF THE HIGHWAY ...................................................................... 13

Highway alignment: .......................................................................................................................................... 13

Road side features ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Road Cross-section ......................................................................................................................................... 14

Potential accident prone area along the Koholpur Harre ............................................................................... 14

residetial settlements and minor road crossings .............................................................................................. 21

Prioritized and accident locations along the Koholpur - HArre ......................................................................... 22

CHAPTER 6. ROAD SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS .............................................................................. 23

Safety at Bridge and culvert ............................................................................................................................. 23

Visibility at night ............................................................................................................................................... 24

Safety at the settlement: .................................................................................................................................. 25

Creating forgiving roads ................................................................................................................................... 26


Page ii Grid Consult Road & Traffic Unit

Field RSI observation and proposed safety measures .................................................................................... 27

CHAPTER 7. BILL OF QUANTITY AND PRIORITY FOR IMPLEMENTATION ................................. 28

CHAPTER 8. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................... 30

Conclusions ..................................................................................................................................................... 30

Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................... 30

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................ 32

APPENDICES .................................................................................................................................................. 33


Page iii Grid Consult Road & Traffic Unit

List of Figures

Figure 1 various stages of road safety actions ................................................................................................... 3

Figure 2RSA Procedures (RSA Manual DOR) ..................................................................................................... 8

Figure 3 Road section with limited visibility at the Hairpin bend (CH 60+000) ............................................................ 14

Figure 4 Vehicle paring on the carriageway, creates hindrances for emergency vehicles .......................................... 15

Figure 5 Roadway width is not properly utilized .......................................................................................................... 15

Figure 6 Traffic calming method but not properly designed......................................................................................... 15

Figure 7 RSI team with army personnel at the checkpost ........................................................................................... 16

Figure 8 CH 35+600 curved section with vertical drop ................................................................................................ 16

Figure 9 CH 36+600 section with the vertical drop at the outward curve ................................................................... 17

Figure 10 Bridge at CH 37+500 ................................................................................................................................... 17


Figure 12 Curve at CH 47+000 ................................................................................................................................... 18



Figure 15 Babai Bridge CH 53+800 ............................................................................................................................ 20

Figure 16 Bridge at CH 54+600 .................................................................................................................................. 20

Figure 17 Hairpin bend at CH 58+500 ......................................................................................................................... 20

Figure 18 The memory of the road accident victim at the Hairpin bend (CH 58+500) ................................................. 21

Figure 19 Accident site at CH 68+000 ......................................................................................................................... 21

Figure 20 Traffic Sign at the small settlement (CH 23+800) ........................................................................................ 22

Figure 32 Typical safety at bridge site .............................................................................................................. 23

Figure 33 Typical safety at settlement .............................................................................................................. 25

Figure 34Typical Cross-section of highway /settlement .............................................................................. 25


Page iv Grid Consult Road & Traffic Unit

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Road and Traffic Unit under the Department of Roads has initiated to conduct Road Safety

Inspection (Audit) for the existing Ratna Highway for the assessment of road safety scenario and to

identify the adequate road safety measures along this highway. The consultants team conducted

road safety inspection along with the close interaction with the Division Road Offices i.e.

implementing agency of the road safety inspection.

The RSA field audits were carried out with field trip from March 2015. During the road safety

audit, the team identified field specific road or traffic safety concerns and documented them into a

comprehensive database along with specific photographs. The RSA was carried out as per an

approved methodology and procedures developed during the project inception phase. The audit

was carried out in two stages. In the beginning, the RSA team focused on desk-study. Then, a field

examination of the highway section was carried out and the corresponding safety deficiencies with

appropriate remedial action items were documented. A brief RSA report summary was also

developed for each project and documented as part of the final report.

Based on the Audit outcome and the RSA database developed during the field audit, the team has

developed several typical safety design templates based on the road design and alignment

condition. Each typical template is then configured using a combination of traffic barriers, traffic

signage, delineator and pavement width at the curves. In total, the team proposed 1370 m length of

Gabions barriers at the curved sections of highway and 560 m length for bridge protection; 3950

m length of the road needed the Delineator post and about 456 m of the steel crash barriers. The

final report includes detail description of the installation procedures and specifications to those

safety items that are proposed by the RSA team.

During the RSA, the team documented some road construction and maintenance practices that

deemed highly deterrent to overall road safety and must need to be the part of regular safety

improvement program. Some of these notable items are (i) road surface maintenance practices

(ii) Bridge maintenance including railing maintenance (iii) Maintenance of shoulders (iv)

Maintenance of Gabion barriers (v) Maintenance of stone masonry parapet blocks.

The audit team prepared a priority list of safety items with three implementation time-line and

grouped them in following categories.

Short-term (starting immediately): are those typical outputs and recommendations that are

expected to bring immediate results to improve the overall road user safety and reduction

in accident. For Example, signage, road marking, etc.

Mid-term (starting within 1 year): are those physical interventions that are expected to

improve the system-wide road user safety, for example guard rails, gabions and widening

pavement at sharp-curves with visibility problem.

Long-term results (starting within 3 years): are those outputs that are expected to develop

the road safety awareness to provider (the agencies), drivers, emergency response

personnel, traffic police, as well as all road users. For example, education, enforcement,

safety campaign, etc.

The RSA team also developed a comprehensive RSA database identifying the relative location by

road Chainage for all proposed road safety items that need to be implemented.

The final report also offers some recommendations to improve the overall road safety.


Page v Grid Consult Road & Traffic Unit

The key recommendations are:

In long term, Ratna highway must be upgraded into two lane highway. It would be safer for

increasing traffic in the future.

The RSA followed by road safety inspection (RSI) should be carried out on a regular interval

(every two to three years) to address road safety related issues;

At the location of sharp-curves where proper sight-distance/visibility cannot be achieved

due to hard-rocks or other terrain constraints, the pavement should be widen at the curve

to minimize heads-on collision. In addition, reflective tape/painting should be introduced at

this location to improve the night-time visibility.

The installation of road safety measures should be carried out under the close super vision

of traffic expert or engineer.

In addition to engineering solution, outreach and safety education program also need to be

adapted in parallel to physical intervention to road safety.

In addition to physical remedial actions to road safety, traffic law enforcement also needs to

be the integral part of long-term intervention to road safety. The promotion of safety

culture outside the engineering domain is anther vital part to enhance road safety.

Therefore, public awareness, educational measures and enforcement of rules should also be

taken as a part of complete road safety program..


Page vi Grid Consult Road & Traffic Unit

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This Final Report is prepared after the completion of Road Safety Inspection (RSI) of Koholpur

Surkhet section of the Ratna Highway. Road and Traffic Unit, Department of Roads awarded

consulting service to Grid Consult P. Ltd. This report contains the field information on all aspects

of Road Safety Audit (RSA) as well as RSI and recommendations for traffic safety improvement

along the existing highway section.

Grid Consul P. Ltd, the Consultant would like to extend its gratitude to Road and Traffic Unit,

Department of Roads for entrusting the assignment. The consultants' team would like to thanks to

Unit Chief Er. Binod Kumar Mauwar for his support during project period .Similarly, we would like

to appreciate Engineer Kiran Subedi for his technical support at the office as well in the field study.

The Consultant would like to extend the gratitude to the Chief of the Planning Division DDG Mr.

Umesh Jha for his supporting guidance before the field mobilization. Similarly, the team appreciates

the suggestions by SDE Ajay Mull during the meeting at DOR.

The consultants team conducted discussions with the DRO Chief, Nepalgunj SDE, Rajesh Yadav. The

team would like to highly appreciate SDE for his suggestions and support.

Similarly, team would like to appreciate all the offices of Traffic Police, public stakeholders and

other road users along the project road for their assistance on identifying specific issues of road

safety.

The last but not least, team would like to be glad for the technical and supporting staff of Grid

Consul P. Ltd. who have done remarkable assistance to complete the assignment.

GRID Consult P. Ltd.

Road Safety Inspection

2015


Page 1 Grid Consult Road & Traffic Unit

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND

Road transport is one of the major sectors of national economy. Road transport is considered as

the fundamental platform for the development of other sectors of economy. Furthermore,

reliable, affordable, and safety are major objectives of the road transport service. Road safety is

related to the road traffic injuries which have been taken as the serious problem everywhere in

the world. The road accidents Road traffic injuries are the eighth leading cause of death globally,

and the leading cause of death for young people aged 1529. More than a million people die

each year on the worlds roads, and the cost of dealing with the consequences of these road

traffic crashes runs to billions of dollar considered as the s. Current trends suggest that by 2030

road traffic deaths will become the fifth leading cause of death unless urgent action is taken

(Global Status on Road Safety, 2012; WHO).

In this context, World Health Organization (WHO) has taken to carry out the global initiation for

road safety as: Decade of Action for Road Safety-2011 2020. Within this frame work, road

authorities are responsible to reduce road accidents in ach country. In these circumstances,

Nepal has formulated Road Safety Action Plan (2013 -2020).

In Nepal around 1700 people lose their life and around 3500 or more are seriously injured in

road traffic accidents in Nepal every year. The annual fatality rate is quite high even by

developing country standards. Road conditions, drivers' behaviour, and Vehicle characteristic

are main contributing elements for road accidents. Similarly, road safety awareness and

enforcement of traffic regulations play vital role for improvement of road safety. Critical road

geometry due to the hilly terrain and meandering river valleys, we are facing serious fatalities

after road accidents. The usual way to minimize the number of casualties and the severity is to

install proper road safety furniture such as crash barriers, marking and sign.

Department of Roads as the responsible agency for the design, construction and operation of

strategic road network has undertaken the challenges on this very urgent issue of the decade in

Nepal. Road & Traffic Unit (RTU) within the DOR has been striving to apply efforts on Road

Safety since 1994. This specialized unit is responsible for traffic engineering and road safety

activities. The unit has been investigating accidents and devising engineering counter measures.

In this regard, the Unit has published a number of Road Safety literatures relevant to the

national context. Similarly, it has conducted Road Safety Audit of some links of Strategic Road

Network.

Ratna Highway is only the link to the gigantic region (Whole Karnali River Basin and most of

the Bheri River Basin) to the E-W Highway. This link has enormous economic importance for

the overall development of the Region. Moreover, this link has administrative significance by

connecting the Regional Headquarter with the national network. However, the geometric

features of the initial planning and design are not adequate to meet the requirement of present

traffic. Moreover, the highway link should be improved for the consideration of safety,

convenience and the efficiency of the transport services along the route. Considering these

aspects DRO, Nepalgunj has started to widen the carriageway in several sections of the highway.

In these aspects, of highway and transport service, road safety is the major issues to undertake

by the concerned authorities. First of all, the highway needs to be assessed in terms of safety

features and efficiency of the transport services which is related to the vehicle operating cost.



After carrying out the field observation consultants team was convinced the emergence of the

safety actions as well as the rehabilitation of the entire highway. Considering, these reality RTU

has formulated this assignment to conduct Road Safety Inspection along this Section of Ratna

Highway.

Grid Consult P. Ltd has been trusted to perform the Road Safety Inspection of Koholpur-

Harre section of the Highway. Consultant has completed assignment within the stipulated time

duration and with the plenty of effort for the quality reporting of the issue.

ROAD SAFETY INSPECTION

Road Safety Inspection (RSI) is a systematic, on-site review, conducted by road safety expert an

existing road or section of road to identify hazardous conditions, faults and deficiencies that

may lead to serious accidents. Road hazards and safety issues detected with this activity are

described in a written report, for which a formal response by the relevant road authority is

required. RSI is recognized as infrastructure safety management tool in several countries;

however, procedures for its practical implementation differ from country to country.

Description of activities under the RSI consists of a mixture of Road Safety Audit, ordinary road

maintenance inspection and black-spot intervention. The elements to be addressed in RSI

should be known risk factors for accidents or injuries. Inspections should be standardized and

designed to ensure that all elements included are assessed in an objective manner. The RSI

report should be standardized; its contents should include a description of detected safety

issues and of proposed corrective measures.

Road authorities must guarantee adequate levels of safety on existing roads. To reach this goal,

advanced road safety management considers not only traditional corrective measures due to

analyses of high risk sites but also the whole infrastructure life cycle itself. This includes

interventions to reduce the influence of hazards using general quantitative knowledge on

factors affecting the safety of road facilities.

At the planning stage, a Road Safety Impact Assessment (RIA) is performed to assess the impact

of plans on safety. This can be a new bridge that may or may not be intended to raise the safety

level; or the assessment of a wider scheme i.e. the plans for upgrading the safety level of a total

network or area.

At the design stage, a Road Safety Audit (RSA) is carried out to ensure that a new road schemes

operate as safely as possible for all road user groups. RSA consist of the examination of road

schemes at the different stages of project development (starting with the preliminary design),

before or shortly after a road is opened to traffic.

Once fully operational, the safety level of an existing road may be improved through several

types of procedures: Black Spot Management, Network Safety Management and Road Safety

Inspections.

Black Spot Management (BSM) consists of identification, analysis and treatment of black spots.

Black spots are defined as any location that has a higher expected number of accidents than

other similar locations as a result of local risk factors. Network Safety Management (NSM) is the

identification, analysis and treatment of hazardous road sections. Hazardous road section is any

section that has a higher expected number and severity of accidents than other similar road

sections, as a result of local and section based accident and injury factors. Road Safety

Inspection (RSI) is carried out to identify traffic hazards related to the road environment

characteristics and propose interventions to mitigate the detected hazards.



Figure 1 various stages of road safety actions

OBJECTIVES OF RSI

Due to technological developments and new technical standards, existing road equipment may

become obsolete, its replacement being necessary. Once open to traffic, the road environment is

likely to be affected by interference due to developments not decided upon by road authorities;

this is especially relevant concerning roadside characteristics. These and others are hazardous

factors emerging during the lifecycle of a road itinerary and unforeseen in its early stages, i.e.

the planning and design stages. Tackling these hazards in order to raise the safety level of

existing roads and bring their standards to adequate consistency with the rest of the road

network is the main objective of RSI.

A secondary, complementary, objective may also be achieved by RSI: to maintain or restore the

original safety level of an existing road. However, it is recognized that several issues related to

this secondary objective are mainly achieved by means of regular road maintenance

inspections.

STEPS OF RSI PROCEDURES

RSI is conducted in the following sequence: Preparatory work in the office; on-site visit study;

RSI report and Remedial measures and flow up. Inspections should be standardized and

designed to ensure that all elements included are covered and are assessed in an objective

manner. In initial stages of implementation, check lists may be helpful.

Check lists for RSI should include the following core of recognized important elements:

The quality of traffic signs, with respect to their need and to whether they are correctly

placed or legible in the dark.

The quality of road markings, in particular whether they are visible or are consistent

with traffic signs.

The quality of the road surface characteristics, in particular with respect to friction

(macro and micro-texture) and evenness.

The adequacy of sight distances and the absence of permanent or temporary obstacles

that prevent timely observation of the road or other road users.



The presence of roadside traffic hazards, near the carriageway, such as trees, exposed

rocks, drainage pipes and culverts, steep high embankment slopes, etc.

Aspects of traffic operation, in particular if drivers speeds are adequate to local

conditions and to the function of the road. This also includes items such as the suitability

of the road to its function and the adequacy of space for current traffic and separation

between motorized and vulnerable road users.

For each element included in an inspection, a standardized assessment should be made by

applying the following categories:

The item represents a traffic hazard that should be treated immediately. A specific

treatment should then be proposed.

The item is not in a perfectly good condition or deviates slightly from current standards,

but no short term action is needed to correct it. Further observations are recommended.

The item is in good condition and in accordance with current standards.

The detail of the field check list is provided in the annex of the report.

SCOPE OF THE WORK

RSI for the Koholpur Harre (Ch 22+000 - 68+000) section of the Ratna Highway has been

initiated based on its functional importance and critical aspect of safety. Existing elements such

as road furniture, markings, signs, road-surface and side drains should be maintained for safe

and convenient traffic movement. The scope of the RSI should incorporate the evaluation of

these elements regarding safety. The recording the deficiency in safety aspect and

recommendation of remedial measures would be the general outline of the work.



CHAPTER 2. METHODOLOGY

RSI of Koholpur Harre section of Ratna Highway will be conducted as per the existing

guidelines and best practices. Major steps for RSI methodology are as below:

PREPARATORY WORK AT OFFICE

Office work for the preparation of RSI mainly consists of: collection of relevant study report,

secondary data and finalizing the checklist for field observation. During the desk study of the

project the RTU was concerned for the relevant literature and documents on road safety. Based

on the existing practices a appropriate checklist was prepared for the on-site visit of the project

road. The road plan with the major settlements and indication of Chainage was prepared for

field work.

ON-SITE FIELD VISIT

The RSI team conducted field observation for RSI on the following principles:

Field observation:

The field observation was started from Kohalpur (CH 22+ 000) and ended at Harre (68+000).

The field observations were conducted based on the standard type of Check-list. The inspection

was carried out by car/walking in both directions on the link section under study, at day and at

night. The critical road sections and built-up areas as well as others were noted down in detail.

The road safeties from the all aspects of all road users have been considered. The expert

assessed events on the road and its environment without making reference to standards and

regulations: the visit was immediate and efficient, and concentrates on the safety issue from the

users point of view. RSI was field observation was carried out the movement of various types of

traffic flow including pedestrian. All the Road Safety issues and remarks have been recorded on

the basis of Kilometre based system of Chainage.

Stakeholder Consultation: During the on-site field study personnel from the Division Road

Office, traffic police and other road-side dwellers have been consulted for their expectation on

safety and crash scenarios/accident. The major initiatives on the Road safety by the

stakeholders have been recorded. At the same time, drivers and pedestrians (including school

children) had been asked on their concern on road safety. This activity was duly considered

during the recommendation of Road Safety measures and their respective priority.

REPORT PREPARATION

The on-site field observation with the checklist had been concluded by the recommendations of

Road safety measures. The priority and their Bill of Quantity (BOQ) of the proposed actions have

been prepared for their implementation. The typical drawings on safety barriers, location of

markings, signs have been prepared in detail. The Final report was prepared the basis of field

observation and engineering calculations of the recommended actions.

The RSI report at the final stage of the project will consist of four main parts and appendices

with maps, pictures and illustrations as necessary.

Part 1 includes details of the road or section/element of road being inspected as well as the

composition of the inspection team, date, times and conditions at the time of the inspection.



Part 2 includes the outline and the background data obtained during the preparatory work in

the office and a description of the activities undertaken.

Part 3 describes the shortcomings or deficiencies which were found and an assessment of these

deficiencies. It should contain the completed investigation form and the documentation with

pictures. It is recommended to include these deficiencies and shortcomings into table form.

Part 4 contains the recommendations for countermeasures, from short to long term. The safety

effects of the measures should be taken into consideration.

Appendices - include illustrations, maps, tables and data from other sources and kinds (in

order to clarify the results, different kinds of illustrations including photos and sketches of

countermeasures). This section also includes the cost estimation based on the local unit rates

for the proposed safety measures.

Also, the efforts in respect of the time needed to realize the measures should be taken into

consideration to prepare challenging but realistic proposals. The team used the expert

experience and knowledge about the best practice and the local circumstances. The possible

outcome of the road safety inspection procedures is also dependent on the terms of RSI.



CHAPTER 3. REVIEW OF ROAD SAFETY DOCUMENTS

During the desk study of the Road Safety Inspection project following documents were studied:

Methodological guide: Road Safety Guide; France, 2009

Road Safety Inspection Guidelines and Checklists; Baltik Sea Region, 2012

Checklists for interurban Highways: Annex to Road Safety Inspection Guidelines; 2009

England

Road Safety Inspection Scheme Review for European Countries; 2011

Road Safety Inspection Guidelines; National Road Authority; Irland, 2012

Road Safety Inspection Manual; Aberdeen City Council, UK, 2012

DOR publications on road safety and other safety guidelines were also reviewed during the desk

study of the project. Some of the safety related documents are as:

FHWA Road Safety Audit Guidelines, US Department of Transport, Federal Highway

Administration, 2006

Road Safety Audit Procedures for Projects, Guidelines, Transfund New Zealand,

November 2004

ADB. Road Safety Audit for Road Projects: an Operational Tool Kit, June, 2003.

ADB Road Safety Guidelines for Asian & Pacific Region: Guidelines for decision maker on

Road Safety Policy

DoR Road Safety Notes 2: Design of Safe Side Drains: November 1996

DoR Road Safety Notes 4: Road Safety Audit Manual, April, 1997

DoR Road Safety Notes 5: Delineation measures, March, 1997

DoR Road Safety Notes 6: Safety Barriers, July 1997

DoR Road Safety Notes 7: Safety at Bridges, July 1997

DoR Traffic Sign Manual, August 1997

TRL Over Seas Road Note 17, Road Safety Education in Developing Countries, Guidelines

for Good Practice in Primary Schools, 1997

RSI along the project road should be conducted as per the best practices implemented in other

countries. However, the following safety documents are use full to review for the RSI of the

existing road projects.

3.1 ROAD SAFETY AUDIT MANUAL

The document was published by the Department of Roads in 1997 and reprinted in July 2012. It

describes the basic concepts on Road Safety Audit (RSA), general procedure for RSA, principles

for designing the safer roads, and demonstrates the RSA checklists.

The scope of this RSA manual is limited to the checking the safety aspects of road schemes in

order to detect potential safety before the road open to traffic. The stages for the safety audit

mentioned are:

Stage 1 Audit: Feasibility study

Stage 2 Audit: Draft design

Stage 3 Audit: Detailed Design

Stage 4 Audit: pre-opening



RSA should be conducted for roads during and after the construction of road projects. This

manual does speak about the audit procedure for post construction stage roads. The procedure

for conducting RSA is given as shown in the figure below.

Steps for Road Safety Audit

The Steps Responsibility of

Project referred to TESU for Audit

Project reports & Plans sent to TESU

Study Plans and inspect site

Hold commencement meeting with the

designers

Undertake the audit

Discuss and agree changes with DG and

Project Manager

Hold completion meeting with Project

Manager and designers

Report on action to be taken is then sent to

design team, and the DG for final approval

Follow-up

Concerned DDG or Project Maneger in

consultation with the DG

Project Manager

TESU

TESU

TESU

TESU

TESU & Project Manager together with

DG

Project manager

TESU & Project Manager & Project

implementation team

Write audit Report

Submit to DG & Project Manager

Figure 2RSA Procedures (RSA Manual DOR)

The major part of the RSA methodology the principles of safety audit are described as below:

Consideration the needs of all road users

be thorough and comprehensive

be realistic and practical

Stick to road safety aspect

Check compliance with relevant standards and guidelines



use a team of at least two auditors

The manual contains the basic design principles for safer roads in the context of Nepal. The

auditors as well as designers should have better understanding of how to go about safer roads.

The key principles are:

Designing roads for all road users

Provide a clear & consistent message to the driver

Encouraging appropriate speeds and behaviour

Reducing conflicts

Making allowance for the bad or impaired driver

Creating a forgiving road

ROAD SAFETY NOTE 2: DESIGNING SAFE SIDE DRAINS

Side drains as major part of road cross section especially in hill road it has significant role for

overall life cycle of the road structure as well as the safety. This Safety Note describes mainly

four aspects related to the side drain.

Discharge calculation

Safety aspect

Maintenance aspect

The safety aspect of the side drain has been highlighted in the document are as:

the design of drains should be such that any vehicle which falls into them should remain

upright

it should be as little damage as possible

be capable of being easily recovered

ROAD SAFETY NOTE 5: DELINEATION MEASURES

The delineating devices give the driver visual clues as to where the road is going. They can have

great safety benefits. Road Safety Note (RSN) explains the advantages of delineation and their

types and recommendations for the proper allocation for safety. Different types of delineation

measures mentioned in the RSN are:

Centre and edge lines

Post delineator

Confidence blocks

Earth filled bitumen drums

Dimensions, spacing and other requirements on delineation measures have been elaborated in

the context of Nepal.

The application of chevron signs, reflective road studs are more popular for delineation

measures. The technical standards of chevron sign and road reflectors have been mentioned

with their installation requirement in this RSN.



ROAD SAFETY NOTE 6: SAFETY BARRIERS

The design principle of forgiving roads is to install the appropriate barrier to prevent vehicle

from running off the road way. This Technical Note helps to determine the necessary of safety

barrier along the roads and to plan appropriate and cost-effective safety barriers as dictated by

site conditions. The warrants for safety barriers are:

To protect vehicles from falling down a slope

To protect vehicles from hitting road side object

To prevent out-of-control vehicles from crossing over the central median.

Types of barriers can be shown as:

Semi rigid barriers

Steel beam barriers

Gabion barriers

Rigid barriers

Random rubble masonry barriers

plum-concrete barriers

RCC barriers

This safety note is very import for the treatment of black spot along the project roads. This

safety note gives the idea on barrier type, specifications, installation schemes and maintenance

strategy. The cost comparison of different types of barrier is provided here in the note.

However, the cost should be revised as per the project site and as per present market price of

construction materials and labour charge.

ROAD SAFETY NOTE 7: SAFETY AT BRIDGES

The Road Safety Note-7 describes special safety measures to be applied at the bridge sites. The

`frequency of accidents is higher at bridge sites therefore it should be treated with more care

from the safety point. All the components such as bridge approach and structural elements of

bridge should be taken care. Provision of pedestrian walking, signage, marking is most

important safety aspect at bridges.



CHAPTER 4. BASIC TOPICS FOR ROAD SAFETY INSPECTION

The following key topics relating to the road should be investigated during a RSI. The general

checklist for field observation has been developed as per the following elements of the road

section:

Function

Is the road responding to its function in the network (does it have mixed functions, are speeds

limits appropriate, are there any impacts from land use development, problems with accesses

roadside facilities and properties)?

Cross section

Is the road cross section width and separation appropriate (is the number of lanes sufficient for

the traffic using it including cycling and walking if available?), is the marking sufficient, what are

the surface conditions, are the shoulders adequate, is drainage from the road adequate, and is

the pavement in a suitable condition, what is the solution for separation of vulnerable road

users and is it adequate to the terms?

Alignment

Is the alignment consistency regarding the curve design, are sight distances adequate? Is the

existing speed limit adequate for the horizontal and vertical elements of the alignment? Are

there sufficient overtaking possibilities? Is the alignment consistent and easily recognized by

the road users? Or full of surprises for the drivers?

Special attentions need to be drawn to terrain character transition sections on the roads (flat to

hilly)

Intersections

Are intersections appropriate for the traffic volumes, level and form of traffic engineering (for

example intersection type - is there traffic signals and are they sufficient?). Can pedestrians

safely cross the road? Are there local accesses to private properties and railway crossings? Are

there sufficient space and acceleration/deceleration lanes?

Vulnerable road user needs

This topic includes the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists and powered two-wheelers. These issues

are important because of the often serious consequences of their accidents. Furthermore, it is

realistic to take account of that the number of bicyclist and powered two wheelers will be

changed (often increased) in the next years.

Traffic signing, marking and lighting

Is the signing and marking appropriate and clear, is lighting adequate or is it needed? Have

appropriate speed limits been signed appropriately (start, end, height, location)? Is prohibition

of overtaking for trucks, buses, etc. appropriately designed and located? Can the signs be clearly

recognized? Is a reduction in speed when approaching the intersection assigned to the correct

place and properly designed? Is signing logical and consistent? Do all signs and markings

correspond without any contradictions? Is the road sufficiently illuminated? Is there a need to

have illumination? Is the lighting of special situations (transition zones, changes in cross section

suitably designed?

It would be useful to use the unified and standardized approach of traffic signalling and road

marking on European road network, especially on sections which are close to state boarders, in



order to make the travelling more homogeneous and understandable for the road users on

international routes. It is understandable that national standards could differ from each other.

Here the RSI could take account these differences and highlight the need of explanatory

information.

Roadside features and passive safety installations

This complex of questions includes the safety related question about engineering structures,

like obstacle along the road, bridges and other features and about the passive safety

installations? Are there any features within the safety zone? Are passive safety installations set

up at the required locations? Have masts, abutments, supporting walls, bridge railings etc. been

safeguarded? Are there at bridges sufficient passive safety installations, are there properly

connected with the guardrails along the road?

Public and private services, service and rest areas, public transport

How an access is performed to services such as schools, hospitals, supermarkets, restaurants

etc. RSI should also look at parking and loading facilities as well as public transport facilities e.g.

bus stops. Is there sufficient and safe space and access for passengers?



CHAPTER 5. ROAD SAFETY ISSUES OF THE HIGHWAY

HIGHWAY ALIGNMENT:

Traffic flow rate along the Ratna-highway may be considered as the moderate. Most of the

section of the highway passes hilly terrain. At the start of the section, the Kohalpur

Intersection is located in the Terai terrain. This place is one of the major intersections on the E-

W Highway. The overall highway alignment of the study section of highway follows along hill

slopes climbing to the hill pass. The alignment of study section of the highway i.e from Koholpur

to Harre can be characterized as:

From Kohalpur (CH 22+000) to Hattisar (CH 35+000) is plain terrain with the

settlement. The alignment can be characterized mainly the straight alignment with rear

horizontal curves. The vertical alignment is smooth and has minimum gradient along

this part of the highway. Pedestrian safety is only the main risk along such settlements.

The highway does not have any dangerous vertical drops on the road side and other

serious road side hazards.

Hattisar (35+00) Deurali (CH 45+000) section is hilly alignment with the ascending

gradient. It has several sharp horizontal curves. The entire section of the highway is

along the forest area. Therefore, Pedestrian safety is not the issues to be considered

along the entire section of the highway. Narrow road width, sharp horizontal curve, and

dangerous vertical drops on the valley side are major concern for the safety along this

section.

From Deurali (Ch45+000) to Babai river (CH 53+000): This section is similar in the

geometric nature but with the descending gradient. Sharp horizontal curves, narrow

width, valley-side vertical drops are major safety issues for the road section. The section

of the Highway is relatively unsafe alignment. The combination of curvature and the

steep gradient makes more complication to the traffic movement. All the the river-

crossing structure are located on the curved path os the highway. It also may become

the cause of severe road accident. Therefore, bridge sites, curved sections have been

specially considered during the road safety Inspection.

From Babai river to Harre (CH 68+000): This part the highway again starts with the

ascending gradient. The entire section also has several horizontal curves with the

slightly higher gradient which is the general observation of the alignment. The major

issues for the road safety are similar as in the previous section of the highway. The road

alignment is very critical in terms of its limited visibility due to the winding geometry.

ROAD SIDE FEATURES

Road pavement elements as well as road-side structures constitute the overall physical

environment. These elements should be designed and constructed with the due consideration of

traffic safety. The pavement conditions should have of uniform geometry for better and safe

driving conditions. The road side structures such as retaining walls, road-side delineation,

cross-drainage railings, traffic signposts, side drains should be constructed after some



clearances (clear-zone). The roadside trees and bushes should be regularly trimmed-off for the

better visibility.

ROAD CROSS-SECTION

Road cross-section is one of the importance factors for the safety. The major issue for this

Highway is the narrow road width. The carriageway is not sufficient for passing provision of

two vehicles. Therefore, the shoulder width is being converted in to the carriageway.

Furthermore, the road section at the bridge sites is critical due to the limited path for

negotiating the curve. The Figure below shows the critical width for the highway.

Figure 3 Road section with limited visibility at the Hairpin bend (CH 60+000)

POTENTIAL ACCIDENT PRONE AREA ALONG THE KOHOLPUR HARRE

During the field visit and survey consultants team conducted interactions with various

stakeholders. Traffic Police Kohalpur has provided the following information on the most

dangerous sections. Similarly, DRO, Nepalgunj has instructed to consider the critical section of

highways. Some of the hazardous Highway sections are described as below. As per the nature of

the alignment, there are various critical locations along the highway section.

Bardia National Park (BNP) Army Check-post (CH 33+000): The check post is located on the

straight part of the highway and in the forest area. All the traffic including motorcycles are

obliged to register here in the check post. It creates traffic congestions for peak hours as well as

rises the risks of incidence. The traffic calming measures are arranged by the Nepal Army

themselves. However, such check post should be specifically designed with the due

consideration of road safety. These cases are always complained by the general people and

passengers.

RSI team discussed on the road safety matters and on the traffic volume along this highway. As

per their record on the 26th March, 2015 there were 577 vehicles and 360 motorcycles recorded

at the check-post. This record does not include the government vehicles. They record vehicle

registration number, drivers name, license number, origin, destination time and type of the

freight. These traffic recording by the army could be useful for road network planning by the

DoR. Various photographs at the BNP Army Check-post are shown below.



Figure 4 Vehicle paring on the carriageway, creates hindrances for emergency vehicles

Figure 5 Roadway width is not properly utilized

Figure 6 Traffic calming method but not properly designed



Figure 7 RSI team with army personnel at the checkpost

Hattisar (CH 35+100 and 35+600): Alignment from 35+000 to 36+000 is relatively critical

section of the highway. Sudden curve after the down gradient has severe impact to the vehicle

movement. Past accident records has also been discussed with the length workers at the site.

Consultants team recommended the crash barriers at both sections. The pohograph is shown in

the figure below.

Figure 8 CH 35+600 curved section with vertical drop

CH 36+600 horizontal curve: The section of the highway is also abrupt curve and high vertical

drop on the road-side creates the danger for traffic movement. It has been recommended to

install the crash barriers at this section as well.



Figure 9 CH 36+600 section with the vertical drop at the outward curve

Bridge at CH 37+500: the bridge site is located just on the middle of the horizontal curve. It creates the narrow

space for passing vehicles which may cause the accident just at the approaches of the bridge.

Figure 10 Bridge at CH 37+500

RSI team recommended the bridge approach protection and signage at the bridge.

Hairpin Bend at CH 41+200: Hairpin bend at this section has very limited visibility, which

could be improved by the clearance of some trees and some earthwork. Further more, the

section is recommended to provide the gabion barriers at the outer side of the curve.

Bridge at CH 42+800: it has also bridge at the curve which is to improve as typical bridge

safety measures. The site is shown in the Figure below.




Bridges at CH 45+600 and CH 45+700: These two bridges are located on the curved path of

the highway alignment. Bridge protection measures are recommended for both bridges.

Landslide section of the highway CH 46+800: Unstable hill slope and debris and rock fall is

the very frequent and chronic problem for this highway. Before thinking on the safety measures

this section should be stabilized by the vegetation as well as slope protecting structures.

However, this area should have warning signage on the both approaches.

Curve at CH 47+000: The section has retaining walls on the vertical drop on the valley-side of

the highway. The parapet blocks are not enough to protect the erring vehicle. It is recommended

to install gabion walls on the valley side and make some clearances (tree as well as bush

cuttings) for enhancing the visibility on the hill-side of the highway.

Figure 12 Curve at CH 47+000

Bridge at CH 50+700: The Bridge is also located on the hill-side curve. However, this bridge

site is relatively easy approaches and roadway width. After the bridge the road cross section is

on the box cutting. There is the main safety problem on the visibility. The high box cutting types

of the section is located on the fragile hill slopes. RSI team recommends that the right-side

should be cleared to enhance visibility. The bridge is shown in the Figure below:




Bridge at CH 52+000: The bridge is located just on the horizontal curve. Deep vertical drop

both side of the bridge is creating danger for the vehicles moving at high speed. The typical

bridge approach protection work is recommended at this site.


Babai Bridge CH 53+800: The one of the long bridge along the Ratna highway is nicely

maintained in terms of railing painting and its carriageway. However, the bridge should be

protected by the typical bridge safety measures.



Figure 15 Babai Bridge CH 53+800

Bridge at CH 54+600: this is the only bridge with the damaged railings by the road accident. As

per the discussion with the length workers there were two road accidents to damage the whole

right-side railing. The figure is shown below.


Hairpin bend at CH 58+500: the hairpin bend has limited visibility. The bend should be

improved by the extra widening at the curve as well as clearing the bushes and earth masses at

the curve. The curve should be properly provided by the signage. Due to the visibility there had

been several minor accidents at the loop. There can be seen the memory of the person killed by

road accident in the photograph below.

Figure 17 Hairpin bend at CH 58+500



Figure 18 The memory of the road accident victim at the Hairpin bend (CH 58+500)

Steeper gradient at CH 68+000 and curved section: the straight potion with the steeper

gradient may cause the accident on the road. There is a monument on the memory of the road

accident victim as in the figure shown below:

Figure 19 Accident site at CH 68+000

RSI team recommends the delineation and gabion barriers as well as proper signage for the

safety improvement along this section.

RESIDETIAL SETTLEMENTS AND MINOR ROAD CROSSINGS

Rantna Highway from the CH 22+000 at Kohalpur to CH 33+000 and Chisapani Army Check-

post (BNP) has sparsely located village settlements. At some sections are some minor

intersections with village road. Road safety concerns along such area are the pedestrian safety

and visibility of curved portion during night driving. The delineation measures are

recommended by the RSI team along this section of the highway. Further more, proper signage

have been recommended in those locations. Local initiations for the road safety have been noted

down by the team. The sign post made by the villagers is shown in the figure below.



Figure 20 Traffic Sign at the small settlement (CH 23+800)

PRIORITIZED AND ACCIDENT LOCATIONS ALONG THE KOHOLPUR - HARRE

RAI team after the field observation decided the very urgent locations to be improved for road

safety these locations and typical safety measures have been mentioned in the Annex III. These

locations are as:

Road signage: most of the critical locations are provided with the traffic signs. However,

the signs such as Chevron Sign, Bridge name plate, Narrow Bridge signs have been

recommended by the RSI team.

Road safety issues related to the Bridge sites are taken into the first priority to be

improved along the study section of highway. The details of the typical road safety

measures at bridge sites are given in the ANNEX IV.

Delineation measures: the study road section has several sections to be improved for the

proper delineation for night as well as day time driving. The details are shown in the

ANNEX III.

Sharp curves to be improved for visibility: These locations along the study highway are

relatively lower in number. These sections are shown in the Annex III of the report.

Village Settlements: road safety issues along the road-side settlements are

recommended to implement on the phase wise.



CHAPTER 6. ROAD SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS

The Road Safety Audit of the study road concludes with the recommendations of road safety

measures based on the various issues as mentioned in the above chapters. RSI team has

proposed various road safety countermeasures depending upon the site conditions and traffic

characteristics. All the recommendations have been referred to the Chainage system of the

Highway. Highway address is useful in terms of Chainage for its implementation. However, on-

site implementation should be guided by the engineer during the field installation of the

measures.

SAFETY AT BRIDGE AND CULVERT

In general, bridges and culvert have restriction on the width. This creates the possibility of

conflicting situation between opposite vehicle, vehicle and pedestrians. Moreover, the location

of bridges and culverts at the horizontal curve, are very prone to the accident. The typical safety

at bridges recommended in this study is as:

Approach protection of bridge using crash barriers (gabion or steel beam barriers):

Most of the bridges along the Highway section have been protected with the construction of

gabion barriers. However, most of them have been damaged and are needed to be repaired.

Similarly, in some places the layout is not proper for these barriers. Therefore, the Road Safety

Audit team suggested to repair reconstruct of these barriers. The typical layout of the bridge

site safety is given in the figure below.

.

Figure 21 Typical safety at bridge site

Bridge/culvert railing:

Well maintained railing of bridge/culvert is valid prerequisite for road safety. Bridge

Railings along the Ratna Highway from Koholpur to Harre have been found firmly painted

and maintained in many places. Only one bridge railing has been damaged by the road

accident at CH 54+600. However, after having more traffic volume and night time driving in

future there would be possibility of many accidents at those bridge sites. Therefore, bridge

site safety should be promptly started.



Marking and delineation:

Pavement marking may guide the drivers along the bridge axis. The barrier line along the

bridge and is extension beyond the bridge length would be helpful for channelizing the

traffic flow and it would avert collision. Delineator Post with reflector unit would guide the

drivers during night driving.

Painting/marking of Kerb:

The kerb provides the barrier to the pedestrian walkway on the bridges. However, it may

create hazard to the vehicle if it is not visible from the safe distance. Therefore, all kerbs

should be painted with the Black and white inclined strips for the whole length. Especially

the end sections of the kerb should be clearly visible from the safe distance.

Speed reduction at bridge site

Most of the bridges are located on the horizontal curve with the restricted visibility.

Therefore speed reduction measures are very effective safety action. The speed can be

reduced by installation of warning sign before reaching to the bridge approaches. Further

construction of rumble strip is also effective measures for the reduction of speed.

Rumble Strips: are a proactive safety measures to prevent road accidents. Primarily they are

used to alert drivers who are drifted out of the travel lane. Rumble strips work by producing

audible rumbling along with noticeable vibration when a vehicles tire rolls over the strips,

improving the opportunity for a safe recovery.

The rumble strips to be provided on the audited roads span over the whole pavement width.

These are 25 mm thick elliptical strips of asphalt at 200 mm interval. The strips are provided in

sets of 15 strips.

Construction method: 50 mm thick and 200 mm wide planks are laid flat across the pavement at

50 mm interval. Hot and dense bituminous pre-mix is poured brimming into the gaps between

the wooden blocks and is hand tamped. Next the wooden blocks are removed and the strips of

the pre-mix are further compressed to shape. When the strips are a bit cooler, the set of strips is

rolled with a 1MT roller. The process is repeated to create a set of 15 strips. Another set is

created at 25 m distance is required.

Bridge name plate: it is informative sign for the driver with the span length it provides

the name of the river or bridge.

Narrow bridge sign: if the roadway is relatively narrower than usual width, the sign of

narrow bridge is installed before the bridge approach.

Bridge nameplate: All bridges should have the name of the stream and the span length.

VISIBILITY AT NIGHT

Cats' eye (Road):

Cats' eye (Road) is the reflective marking specially for night time driving. The cat's eye is

a retro-reflective safety device used in road marking and was the first of a range of

raised pavement markers. It consists (in its original form) of two pairs of reflective glass

spheres set into a rubber dome, mounted in a cast-iron housing. This is the kind that

marks the centre of the road, with one pair of cat's eyes showing in each direction. A



single-ended form has become widely used in other colours at road margins and as lane

dividers.

Bridge/culvert railing/object marking:

The bridge/culvert railings are functioning in two ways: first as the delineation of traffic

movement and second in the case of any incident they protect vehicle from falling down

into the river. Therefore, they should have distinctive visible surface in the

surroundings.

SAFETY AT THE SETTLEMENT:

Road side ettlements along the Ratna Highway are village type settlements. These settlements

must be considered for pedestrian safety by providing proper signage and by the construction

of footpath as well as bus-stops. At the densely populated areas pedestrian crossing facility with

the proper signage should be maintained. Typical safety at settlement is given in the figure

below.

Figure 22 Typical safety at settlement

Construction of bus bay/parking lane:

Vehicle standing on the carriageway is one of the major causes of the accident along the

highway settlement. It may obstruct the vision of both pedestrian and another moving

vehicle. Therefore, bus-bay should be constructed along the highway settlement. The size

(length and width) depends upon the settlement size and traffic volume. The road should be

widened at least three meter along the settlement length for the purpose of parking lane

cum bus-bay purpose.

Figure 23Typical Cross-section of highway /settlement

Construction of footpath:



It is the most effective way of protecting the pedestrian moving parallel to the highway

alignment. The sharing of carriageway between pedestrian and vehicular traffic is alarming

regarding traffic safety. Therefore, depending upon the traffic flow and pedestrian

concentration separate footpath should be recommended in this study. The footpath should

have raised level separated by the kerb stone.

Rumble strips:

Construction of rumble strip is aimed at the reducing the speed by alerting the driving

approaching to the settlement area. Furthermore, it would warn the drivers for careful

driving.

Covering the side drains:

Open side drains create hazard to the vehicle as well as pedestrian movement. The limited

road width can be widened by covering the open channel shaped side drains. It may give

more space to the vehicular traffic or walking space for pedestrian.

Marking and signage:

Pavement marking with barrier line and proper sign is recommended for the typical safety

along the built-up area along the highway section. Each settlement should have the speed

reduction sign.

CREATING FORGIVING ROADS

Most of the road accidents along hilly terrain are of roadway run-off type. The single vehicle

accident is very severe for the highways in Nepal. RTA accident statistics show that most of the

dangerous accidents happen after the vehicle roadway run-off type of accident in hilly roads in

the country. The principle of safety road design should incorporate the forgiving section of

highway. Any drivers loosing the vehicle control after avoiding the collision or during the over-

speeding should have the last chance of retaining this vehicle with the minimum effect to any

crash barriers. RSI team recommends the following suitable barrier types along the Kaohalpur-

Harre Section of Ratna Highway.

Gabion barrier:

Gabion barriers are very effective and at the same time are economic, easy to construct and

maintain. However they do not look neat and modem like other types. Gabion safety barriers are

useful against all roadway run-off type accidents. These barriers have been tested and proved to

be effective in stopping large vehicles, including loaded trucks. However as they only 'give' on

impact but do not redirect the impacting vehicle, there can be a lot of damage to the vehicle and

occupants if it is travelling very fast. At the sharp curved section of the road, gabion barrier is

recommended for safety. However, the space for the placement of gabion section should have

sufficient and it should have good anchorage with the ground.

Stone masonry confidence block/wall:

The most of the sections with the Retaining wall on the valley side has been provided with the

stone masonry parapet blocks. These blocks are functioning as the barrier, confidence or

delineating measures. However, the structurally these blocks are not capable to withstand

vehicle hit. Therefore, most of the existing parapet blocks have been damaged due to the vehicle



hit. Therefore, depending upon the availability of the budget, these blocks should be replaced by

the steel beam crash barrier.

Steel beam crash barrier:

This is the most common and modern type of barrier used for the protection of vehicle from

rolling down or throwing away the carriageway. The major objective of such types of barrier is

to reduce the severity of any accident. It works by resolving the kinetic energy possessed by an

impacting vehicle into components in three dimensions: vertical, parallel to the rail and

perpendicular to the rail. The perpendicular and vertical components are dissipated through

bending and crushing of various parts of the vehicle, the beam, plus the support posts and the

ground in which they are standing. It is a fairly sophisticated system and the design,

manufacture and installation should be left to specialists with the necessary skills and

experience. If not properly designed and installed the barrier may be ineffective or even

hazardous.

FIELD RSI OBSERVATION AND PROPOSED SAFETY MEASURES

The Road safety issues along the project road and their preliminary proposals for the safety

have been provided in the annex of this report.



CHAPTER 7. BILL OF QUANTITY AND PRIORITY FOR

IMPLEMENTATION

The Road safety Audit has finalized the total quantity of the road safety measures as given in the

table below. The implementation of these measures depends upon the resource availability and

severity of the location. The recommended traffic safety measures have been assumed as the

ultimate for the present level of traffic and expected level of vehicle performances and existing

technologies. Moreover, road safety level should be assessed before and after implementation of

some measures. Given the limited resources and time constraint of the implementation they can

be prioritized on the following criteria.

Checking and correction of existing location and orientation of all road signs.

Maintaining the existing delineation posts and erecting the proposed delineators.

Repair/maintenance of existing parapet blocks on the curved section of the road.

Confirm the night visibility by the installation of cat's eye or reflector marking.

The places where the past accidents were occurred should be treated by the installation

of crash barriers.

Potential critical locations (sharp curves, culverts without barriers/railings) should be

treated by the construction of gabion barrier or steel beam crash barrier.

Safety at bridges should be done as per the typical design mentioned above.

Replacement of old parapet blocks on the top of retaining walls by steel beam crash

barrier.

There are many narrow culverts without railing should be treated by installation of

railings or barriers.

Widening the paved surface along the settlement areas for parking and passing vehicles:

construction of bus bay; construction of footpath and cover the drainage etc.

The road alignment at critical locations such as should be improved in the long term

plan. These works are aimed at the alignment correction by nose cut at the curved

section.

Summary of bill of quantities is shown in the table below.

Appendix VI: Summary of Quantities

S/N Particulars Unit Quantity Remarks

General Road Safety measures

2 Gabion barrier, m m 1370.00

3 Steel beam crash barrier, m m 180.00

4 Delineator posts m 3950.00

Bridge safety measures

4

Gabion crash barrier at approaches (1x1

meter section)

R-m

560.00

5 Steel crash barrier at approaches R-m 276.00

6 Railing construction R-m 20.00

7 Railing Repairing R-m 46.00

8 Kerb marking (B43) R-m 1336.00

9 Railing Paintng R-m 1336.00

10 Barrier line marking (F6) R-m 1930.00

11 Lane line marking (F5) R-m 0.00

12 Hazard line marking (F&) R-m 1080.00



Appendix VI: Summary of Quantities

S/N Particulars Unit Quantity Remarks

General Road Safety measures

13 Edge marking (F9) R-m 6060.00

14 Bridge name plate Sign (C29) nos. 34.00

15 Narrow bridge (B35) nos. 26.00

16 Rumble strip R-m 0.00

17 Speed limit sign (A22) nos. 2.00

18

Delineator posts: As per side condition

Spacing of 3-5m

R-m

0.00

General traffic Signs

32 Traffic Sign Right turn (B-10) Nos. 102.00

33 Hairpin bend (B-11) Nos. 8.00

34 Traffic Sign S-curve (Right) Nos. 2.00

35 Traffic Sign S-curve (Left) Nos. 2.00

Side road sign (B3) nos. 8.00

36 Traffic Sign Chevron (single) B-13/1 Nos. 2.00

37 Traffic Sign Chevron (Large 3) B-13/3 Nos. 16.00

Pavement marking

38 Barrier line marking (F6) R-m 1930.00

39 Lane line marking (F5) R-m 43990.00

40 Hazard line marking (F&) R-m 1080.00

41 Edge marking (F9) R-m 6060.00

Note:

The quantity calculated above is the total needed for the Road safety

Delineator post number is obtained by dividing the length by the spacing



CHAPTER 8. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

CONCLUSIONS

Road Safety Audit as well as Road Safety Inspection is the regular activities for the betterment of

road safety situation. Moreover, it unveils the safety deficiencies along with the consideration of

all road users. This study at the stage of final reporting has come to the following conclusions:

The existing traffic safety measures and performance:

Roadway width od the highway was found very critical for the freely passing of two

vehicles. It creates the traffic hazards as well as severe accidents. The initiations by DRO

Nepalgunj the strengthening of shoulders will be only the temporary solutions. In long

term, Highway should be upgraded by the construction of at least two lane road of

minimum seven meter width.

Most of the places traffic signs are found properly maintained. However, the numbers

are insufficient. Traffic sign erection task should be properly monitored for the correct

position. The inaccurately installed traffic sign convey the wrong information to the

driver creating the traffic hazards. Old and incorrect signs should be removed. Location

and orientation of all the signs should be checked and corrected as per the Traffic Sign

Manual.

The accident sites found during the field observation were due to the poor visibility at

the curved section of the road. Therefore visibility improvement should be considered

for annual maintenance of the road.

Severe curves along the alignment have been identified and should be properly dealt

with the recommended safety measures.

Village settlements are found not severe places along this section of highway. Because

most of the highway passes through the BNP.

Safety at bridges could be improved by repairing or placing the crash barriers at the

bridge approaches.

Additional safety recommendations as mentioned in the study can be implemented on

priority and available resources based.

RECOMMENDATIONS

On the basis of above RSA process consultant cam to the following recommendations:

In long term, Ratna highway must be upgraded into two lane highway. It would be safer

for increasing traffic in the future.

The RSA followed by road safety inspection (RSI) should be carried out on a regular

interval (every two to three years) to address road safety related issues;

At the location of sharp-curves where proper sight-distance/visibility cannot be

achieved due to hard-rocks or other terrain constraints, the pavement should be widen

at the curve to minimize heads-on collision. In addition, reflective tape/painting should

be introduced at this location to improve the night-time visibility.

The installation of road safety measures should be carried out under the close super

vision of traffic expert or engineer.

In addition to engineering solution, outreach and safety education program also need to

be adapted in parallel to physical intervention to road safety.



In addition to physical remedial actions to road safety, traffic law enforcement also

needs to be the integral part of long-term intervention to road safety. The promotion of

safety culture outside the engineering domain is anther vital part to enhance road

safety. Therefore, public awareness, educational measures and enforcement of rules

should also be taken as a part of complete road safety program.



REFERENCES

1. Methodological guide: Road Safety Guide; France, 2009

2. Road Safety Inspection Guidelines and Checklists; Baltik Sea Region, 2012

3. Checklists for interurban Highways: Annex to Road Sa

road safety inspection kohalpur_harre_ratna highway

Documents

road safety note

road safety audit manual

safety barriers

report preparation

preparatory work

objectives of rsi

steps of rsi procedures

suruchi marg