Road Safety of Inter-urban Highways in China

08 OCT 2010 (FRI) | 19:00-20:00

Room 211, Hui Oi Chow Science Building, The University of Hong Kong.

Speaker:

Mr Julian T H Kwong Road Safety Consultant

Julian TH Kwong is an independent road safety consultant with education background in civil engineering and injury prevention. He received road safety training in France and the United Kingdom and has been involved in a diversity of highway and traffic design or study projects. His recent profile includes signage design for the 10-lane Singapore’s Marina Coastal Expressway Tunnel and Asian Development Bank’s road safety consultancies for Anhui Province and Yunnan Province, China. Additionally, he is active in promoting better streetscapes and is a founding member of the Association for Geo-conservation, Hong Kong advocating the conservation of geological heritage and scenic resources.

Abstract:

Inter-urban highways are main roads connecting cities and towns. The current national standard of China defines inter-urban highways under five classes, namely Expressways and Classes 1, 2, 3 and 4 highways. Of these, expressways are dual-carriageway roads with a median barrier. Classes 2, 3 and 4 highways are single carriageway two-lane roads with level junctions. Class 1 highways are high capacity roads with intermediate design features. In the past two decades, China underwent a period of rapid development of its inter-urban highway system and the mileage of expressways alone already exceeds 65,000 km. The immense benefits for mobility and the economy are unfortunately accompanied by soaring safety concerns. Classic safety issues, notably bends and long steep gradients, remain key topics on the agenda. Likewise, most level junctions have little or no safety treatments. Roadsides comprising unguarded rigid obstacles and cliff edges are major hazards aggravated by extensive hilly terrains in the country. Tunnels are becoming very common but their particular safety requirements are not always adequately addressed. Another significant issue is highways passing through towns and villages where the safety of local residents is compromised by high speed traffic. This seminar will begin with an introduction of the design standard of inter-urban highways in China. This is then followed by the illustration of key safety issues in relation to standards, practices and quality of design. The seminar will be concluded with a discussion on current progress and prospects for improvements.

Organizers:Master of Arts in Transport Policy and Planning, HKU (MATPP)

All are Welcome!!