The assessment of trunk road schemes comprises two major components - economic appraisal and environmental appraisal. Both forms of appraisal make extensive use of traffic information based on traffic forecasts prepared in accordance with the department of transport's traffic appraisal manual. The manual comprises three parts in which the first defines the essential elements of an appraisal framework and describes the different groups involved. The second part comprises advice on the most appropriate method of assessing specific environmental effects likely to be important in route selection. The third part lists for each section the major published sources on which the advice in the manual is based. Methods and practices described in the manual have been designed for the appraisal of trunk road schemes in the UK although they might also be applied to other roads, such as those of an inter-urban nature, which are the responsibility of other highway authorities. The manual is based on procedures developed jointly with the standing advisory committee on trunk road assessment (SACTRA) and has been prepared in consultation with the department's regional officers and with the transport and road research laboratory.
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