Safety-Based Optimization Model for Highway Horizontal Alignment Design

Abstract

The construction cost and crash cost of the highway are contradictory, but there is an optimal balance between them. This study focused on the best balance point by microadjusting the highway alignment design using the optimization theory. A multiobjective optimization method was proposed to optimize the highway horizontal alignment design considering the economy and safety. The optimization model includes three main objective functions which are the economic objective function, safety objective function, and position constraint objective function. Constraints were established for the optimization model following the corresponding specifications, such as constraints for the three elements in the design unit, continuous constraints for adjacent alignments, constraints for the location of horizontal alignment, and constraints for speed coordination. Two scenarios were considered to verify the effect of the optimization model. One scenario considered the constraints of the intermediate control points, and the other does not. In addition, two cases were analyzed. One is optimization for a horizontal alignment design unit. Another one is for a highway segment including four design units. The parallel genetic algorithm was used to solve the optimization model. Case study results indicate that the optimization model could help to improve the safety and economics of highways. In addition, the proposed optimization model could reduce much more redundant debugging work for the designer and reduce the influence of the designer’s subjectivity.