Road width question

[Erik W]

Anyone have any idea what the typical width would be for a paved two lane road in the '50s?  This would be a road with a painted center line.

Thanks,
Erik

[up1950s]

At least 3 cars wide would be a good rule of thumb I guess .

[dnhouston]

I read somewhere 10 feet per lane, so a two lane road is 20 feet or 1.5 inches in N scale

[up1950s]

Looks to be 4 bears long in width here .

http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/slidefile/mammals/blackbear/Images/14072.jpg

[3rdrail]

Check this topic out on Atlas:

http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=44989

[Sokramiketes]

Anyone have any idea what the typical width would be for a paved two lane road in the '50s?  This would be a road with a painted center line.

Thanks,
Erik

24' for a rural cross section (no curb/gutter)

[up1950s]

I guess the answer is , it depends . As late as 1997 it states 9 foot lanes min on this .

http://www.frcog.org/pubs/transportation/DesignAlternatives/ch4.PDF

[Ian MacMillan]

Concrete sectional roads in NH in the 50's were 10' lanes with a dirt shoulder. Current roads are 12' lanes with  6' paved shoulders.

[wcfn100]

FWIW -  Iowa highways did have curbs on their 18' and 20' pavings which weren't all removed until 1980.  And until the early 50's the center line was actually black.


Jason

[davefoxx]

Looks to be 4 bears long in width here .

http://www.nps.gov/archive/yell/slidefile/mammals/blackbear/Images/14072.jpg

LOL!  Richie (up1950s) is right.  A 1950s road is definitely four or five bears wide.  But that raises a second question: how long is a bear? ;D  Great pic, Richie!

Dave Foxx
Rising Sun, Maryland

[Greyryder]

*holds hands apart* They're about so long.

[Walkercolt]

Depends on what part of the country you're in. Having driven a semi (88" wide minus mirrors) down 10' wide lane streets(holding my breath all the way) and 18' wide lane streets, and in Texas where "Farm market" roads have about 22' wide lanes in the Panhandle with lane width shoulders, it varies ALOT. Roads built for wagons or Model T's will make a plaster saint of a trucker into an SOB in ten miles. The length they give a semi to park in at terminals varies too. When you have a warehouse built for 40' trailers and you've got a 53'er, you learn to say new words.... An inch and a-half looks wide on most layouts...it's a decent compromise.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I good rule of thumb is 10-12' per lane PLUS 6" for each yellow and white line with 6" seperating yellow lines.

Highways are usially 14-15' wide in the travel lane and may be as narrow as 12' for passing lanes.

Rail crossinga should have a crossbuck no closer than 15' from the nearest rail. 150' out you should have the yellow warning sign. 100-150 for in roadway painted sign.

[RS-27]

When I started driving (in NJ) in the 60's, there were plenty of roads that were 12 ' wide or less... Out here in Hideho, there are still a goodly number of 'improved' gravel logging roads where , when confronted by a BIG Kenworth log truck, you back up a mile or so to let him by.

In particular, I remember roads west of Morristown, NJ that had radius' that were less than 40'.

Bob in IDaho