India: A new twist on collector/distributor roads

[Micro The Maniac]

Famous for their poor quality, some major routes in India are getting significant upgrades, almost to "classical" motorway standards.

Interestingly, these upgrades are of the form D3+2 - a three lane "motorway" (with restrictions on usage) plus a segregated two lane "non-motorway" collector/distributor - so all prohibited vehicles can follow the same route, just using the C/D lanes. These C/D lanes have a plethora of junctions with side roads, while there are limited interchanges between the C/D and the main carriageway.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/oUPttRGVj8eZuC7M9

Maybe the UK should consider this?

[freebrickproductions]

Looking at your example, it reminds me of how frontage roads here in the US are done. (Another example.)

[wallmeerkat]

The likes of the N7 into Dublin could be thought of as a bit of a frontage road on the extended onslips https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3154589 ... ?entry=ttu

[Peter Freeman]

Those additional carriageways in India are indeed a variation on C/D, but as freebrick points out, they're more like Texas 'frontage roads', because they are not limited access. Some Tx frontage roads have miles of almost continuous business premises, even houses. You'd need to be careful on them in rural India: masses of ill-disciplined pedestrians, carts being pulled by camels, etc - yes, I've been there!

A real C/D is related, but it is limited access, like its parent motorway. Its only function is to provide the GSJ's omitted from the express carriageway.

[nowster]

They seem to be called "service roads".

Travelling along it using GSV, especially in the urban sections, it does show you how pampered we are with road signage in Europe.

[Peter Freeman]

They seem to be called "service roads".

Australia uses the term 'service road' too. I think 'frontage road' is only American. AU doesn't have many examples where service roads closely flank a motorway, but we have many flanking our major at-grade urban divided highways - especially in Melbourne.

[freebrickproductions]

They seem to be called "service roads".

Australia uses the term 'service road' too. I think 'frontage road' is only American. AU doesn't have many examples where service roads closely flank a motorway, but we have many flanking our major at-grade urban divided highways - especially in Melbourne.

IIRC, some parts of the US also use the term "service road". ALDOT calls the frontage roads along the Parkway here in Huntsville "Service Roads", apparently:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7640042 ... &entry=ttu

[Peter Freeman]

They seem to be called "service roads".

Australia uses the term 'service road' too. I think 'frontage road' is only American. AU doesn't have many examples where service roads closely flank a motorway, but we have many flanking our major at-grade urban divided highways - especially in Melbourne.

IIRC, some parts of the US also use the term "service road". ALDOT calls the frontage roads along the Parkway here in Huntsville "Service Roads", apparently:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7640042 ... &entry=ttu

I also see that on the Parkway immediately north of your link, and on Lee Hwy that joins it near there, they are called 'Access Roads'. These flanking roads are in almost the same configuration (ie. degree of connectivity to their parents) as the Parkway's 'East Service Road' and others mentioned in this topic.

So, Frontage/Service/Access are virtually synonymous in USA, while AU and India stick with Service.

[freebrickproductions]

Australia uses the term 'service road' too. I think 'frontage road' is only American. AU doesn't have many examples where service roads closely flank a motorway, but we have many flanking our major at-grade urban divided highways - especially in Melbourne.

IIRC, some parts of the US also use the term "service road". ALDOT calls the frontage roads along the Parkway here in Huntsville "Service Roads", apparently:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.7640042 ... &entry=ttu

I also see that on the Parkway immediately north of your link, and on Lee Hwy that joins it near there, they are called 'Access Roads'. These flanking roads are in almost the same configuration (ie. degree of connectivity to their parents) as the Parkway's 'East Service Road' and others mentioned in this topic.

So, Frontage/Service/Access are virtually synonymous in USA, while AU and India stick with Service.

I wouldn't be too surprised if "Access" and "Service" are used here depending on if the frontage road in question is alongside a freeway or not, given that the ones labeled as Access Roads are on roads that aren't freeways at that point. For further evidence, the frontage roads along I-65 in Mobile are called Service Roads. None of the other frontage roads I've checked around Alabama, both in the Mobile area and up around Montgomery, seem to have any signage stating if they're called "Service" or "Access" though.

[jackal]

Service roads like this are very common in Spain.

[DL_Michael]

May or may not be related but the R744 in Co. Wexford (Ireland) shares an overpass with the M11. This stretch of the R744 was built with the motorway and runs from Jnctn 25 to a roundabout with the existing R744.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9rYozFFfJqnt7UF ... eview.copy

[bothar]

The likes of the N7 into Dublin could be thought of as a bit of a frontage road on the extended onslips https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3154589 ... ?entry=ttu

And the N4 https://maps.app.goo.gl/x7RwvodwWcA3ay1s5

[Chris5156]

These C/D lanes have a plethora of junctions with side roads, while there are limited interchanges between the C/D and the main carriageway.

Your use of the term "interchange" for the crossover points between the main carriageways and the service roads is very generous. Here is what they look like

[Micro The Maniac]

Your use of the term "interchange" for the crossover points between the main carriageways and the service roads is very generous.

Fair point... were a similar scheme be adopted in the UK, DMRB (or whatever it's call) gold-plating would ensure they become unaffordable

[jgharston]

Some roads in Sheffield are built like that: Halifax Road.