On main roads, keep the vertical curves located within the horizontal curves – never start a horizontal curve beyond the crest of a vertical curve.
Benefits and considerations
- Allows a road to respond to its context more successfully
- Provides a more enjoyable travel experience
- Results in a corridor not in keeping with its context
- Detracts from the travel experience
Examples
The alignment of the Pacific Highway near Macksville smoothly guides people along it, with a harmonious relationship between the lateral curves on approach to the bridge and the crest across the Nambucca River.
Location:
Pacific Highway, Macksville near Old Coast Road
Agency responsible:
TfNSW
Conversely, the Princes Highway at Pambula displays a poor relationship between vertical and horizontal alignments. A sharp left-hand deviation is awkward and out of keeping with the broader alignment, and a slight dip creates an uncomfortable experience for drivers navigating a bend. The visual expression of this alignment is also awkward.
Location:
Princes Highway, Pambula
Agency responsible:
TfNSW
Application
| Main roads | Main streets | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorway |  | Transit boulevard |  |
| Principal arterial | | High-activity high street | |
| Rural highway | | High-activity mall | |
| Rural link | | Transit street | |
| Connector avenue | | ||
| Transit way | | ||
| Local streets | Civic space | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Connector street | | Destination high street | |
| Neighbourhood street | | Mall | |
| Yield street | | Civic lane | |
| Residential way | | Service lane | |
| Residential lane | | ||
| Street park | | ||
| Enterprise street | | ||
Legend
| Appropriate treatment |
 | Use with caution |
 | Inappropriate treatment |
| Not applicable |