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physical traffic separator

mechanism used to physically separate a travelled way or pathway from the adjacent environment

physical traffic separator Diagram

Clause: 3.3.2.1

Note 1 to entry: Mechanisms include various types of barriers, such as walls, rails, pylons, kerbs and ditches, as well as open, unpaved space. If two streams of traffic are only separated by paved space (including any markings and rumble strips), they share a common carriageway.

Note 2 to entry: The adjacent environment can be an opposing direction of travel, a different mode of travel, the edge of a bridge, etc.

History note: 2025: Replaced "separate carriageways" with "separate a travelled way or pathway from the adjacent environment" to clarify that physical traffic separators are not limited to separating carriageways. Added note 2 to entry.

History note: Introduced in ISO/TS 14812:2022

Specializations of physical traffic separator

Class Description
central reservation part of the road reservation between carriageways designed for travel safety purposes
Jersey barrier physical traffic separator that consists of a wall with a wide, sloped base designed to divert vehicles back into their traffic lane
kerb physical traffic separator, usually upstanding, at the edge of a carriageway, hard strip, hard shoulder, or footway Note 1 to entry: "Curb" is the US spelling.

References to physical traffic separator

Referencing Term Type of Reference
dual carriageway has
multiple carriageway has

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