Identification and Ranking of Road Safety Hazardous Locations: Case Study of Kotre–Aabhukhaireni Section of Prithvi Highway

Abstract

In Nepal, due to rapid urbanization, there are many emerging towns and settlements near highways, which have raised issues of increased traffic density resulting in frequent road crashes like in Kotre- Aabhukhaireni section of Prithvi Highway. Higher crash rates depict lower safety conditions. To improve safety conditions and reduce the loss of life and property, hazardous conditions along the highways need to be identified and ranked for treatment purpose. This study is based on a methodological framework for identifying hazardous locations based on a Field Survey (condition rating) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for ranking road safety hazardous locations of Kotre- Aabhukhaireni road Section of Prithvi Highway by weighing the safety parameters of the road section and calculating the Safety Hazardous Index (SHI). Field condition rating with a focus on pavement surface conditions, structural conditions, shoulder and drainage conditions, pedestrian infrastructure and vehicle restraint system, street lighting, traffic signs, island and road marking conditions was conducted, and risk factors were identified by comparing these variables against norms.

The study identified 15 different locations as safety hazardous locations. The results showed Yampa, Baradi, and Chirrkeni as the most hazardous ones with an SHI index of 0.852, 0.773 and 0.712 respectively, among the study section considered. In contrast, Dhaaptar was considered as the least hazardous one with SHI value of 0.210.