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Highway Engineering Design

Adoptable estate road and highway designs that satisfy Section 38 requirements first time. From geometry design through to technical approval and adoption, with direct senior engineer access throughout.

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Highway engineering design showing estate road layout and infrastructure

The Challenge

Highway Design That Doesn't Get Built Right Doesn't Get Adopted

Getting a residential road layout through planning is one thing. Getting it designed, approved, and adopted as public highway is something else entirely. Highway authorities scrutinise geometry, visibility, drainage, and construction details with an exacting eye, and designs that don't meet their standards get returned, queried, or rejected outright.

The problem is compounded when highway design is treated as an afterthought. Layouts that look right on a masterplan often don't work when you apply the actual geometry standards, swept path requirements, and visibility splay calculations. By the time a generalist picks that up, the site layout has been sold to buyers and the options for fixing it are expensive and disruptive.

ALD Design gets highway engineering right from the start. Designs are built around adoptable standards from day one, produced by an engineer who understands what highway authorities need to see before they'll grant technical approval.

What We Deliver

Four Pillars of Highway Design Excellence

Every highway design we produce is built around these four areas. Miss one, and the whole submission stalls. We make sure nothing gets missed.

Estate Road Design

Section 38 adoptable road layouts designed to highway authority standards
Horizontal and vertical geometry design with full alignment calculations
Visibility splay analysis ensuring safe forward and junction visibility
Swept path analysis for refuse vehicles, fire tenders, and delivery vehicles

Junction & Access Design

Priority junction and bellmouth design to DMRB and Manual for Streets standards
Sight line assessments with accurate topographic verification
Stage 1 and Stage 2 road safety audit coordination
Pedestrian and cycle access design integrated with estate layouts

Technical Compliance

Highway drainage design coordinated with overall site drainage strategy
Street lighting layouts and lux level calculations
Signing, lining, and traffic regulation order schedules
Full DMRB and Manual for Streets compliance across all design elements

Authority Submissions

Section 38 technical submission packages prepared to authority requirements
Technical approval process managed from submission through to agreement
Highway authority liaison and technical query resolution
Ongoing support through construction inspection and final adoption

Highway engineering design drawing showing road geometry and infrastructure details

Our Approach

Why ALD Gets Highways Approved and Adopted

Highway adoption isn't just about producing drawings. It's about understanding the specific standards each highway authority applies, anticipating their technical queries, and producing submissions that don't leave room for ambiguity. After years of working directly with highway authorities across the UK, we know what technical approval officers look for and what makes them send designs back.

Designs that anticipate highway authority queries. Every submission is structured to address the things that commonly get flagged, before they're raised.

You deal with the engineer directly. No project managers, no junior staff. When the highway authority has a question, the person who designed your roads is the one who answers it.

Designed for adoption from day one. Every road, junction, and footpath is designed with adoption as the end goal, not just planning approval. That means fewer surprises at Section 38 stage.

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"ALD Design Ltd has supported us on multiple Redrow Homes sites, delivering tailored solutions to meet diverse project needs. Their professionalism, technical expertise, and responsiveness have been invaluable throughout."

Gareth Williams

Redrow Homes

Other Services

Complete civil engineering design capability beyond highways.

Discuss Your Highway Design With a Senior Engineer

Send us your site layout and planning conditions. You'll get an honest view of what's involved and what it'll cost. No junior staff, no project managers in between.

Start Your Project

07850 032628

ant@alddesign.co.uk