Fitting roads : an approach to the design of lower flow single carriageway roads in sensitive rural areas.

The development of the `Fitting Roads' approach to road design in rural areas is outlined. A Fitting Road is defined as `a road which in terms of its scale, alignment and design is essentially rural in character, has a geometry which follows the topography as closely as possible, addresses environmental and economic issues and fulfils its functional purpose in terms of operational performance and safety'. The Fitting Roads approach brings together a number of ideas already used by designers in a more sympathetic approach to schemes. The system, which is still being studeied, has three requirements a) an understanding of the landscape, b) an interactive working procedure and c) a need to strike a balance between engineering and environmental considerations.