土木工程英语建筑初级水平Unithighway.docVIP

Unit5 Highway A highway necessarily has wide-ranging effects beyond that of providing traffic service to users. It is essential that the highway be considered as an element of the total environment. Environment as used herein refers to the totality of man’s surroundings: social，physical，cultural， and manmade. It includes human, plant，and animal communities and the forces that act on all three. The highway can and should be designed to complement its environment and serve as a catalyst to environment improvement． The efficient road network in any country has a profound effect on its prosperity．The ability of roads to enable traffic to flow freely and safely among the residential，industrial and commercial centers contributes enormously towards a progressive economy．Highways，besides serving each individual nation，fulfill the desirable function of linking countries more closely together. Through the medium of travel，they help to promote cordial relations amongst the peoples of the various nations．In fact，the importance of good road, both nationally and internationally，cannot be overstressed． To serve their purpose to the best advantage，modem roads should, as far as possible，possess the following principal features： l. They should be designed according to the anticipated vo1ume and speed of the traffic likely to use them． 2. Bends and gradients，where necessary，should always be slight． 3．Visibility should be unimpeded． 4．They should be well and clearly signposted． 5．Adequate provision should be made for both cyclists and pedestrians，having due regard for their safety． 6. They should be well lit，where necessary． 7. Landscaping and hedge and tree planting on the sides and central reservation should be arranged to provide a pleasant and interesting outlook for the road users，to avoid monotony and boredom． With the development of the traffic，the traffic control is becoming necessary. An intersection is an area shared by two or more roads，and its main fu