Introduction
I recently added two posts about unsuccessful projects for the preparation of new road geometric design standards, one for Kazakhstan and other countries (see here) and one for Kenya (see here).
Updating existing standards, or replacing them by entirely new ones, can be a good idea, as new approaches and values are developed and accepted. This process seems to be under way in Tanzania. The country has a history of what appears to be a fairly stable development of standards. The ones I have found so far are the following:
1989 document – Tanzania Geometric design of roads, Manual (Ref. 5278), produced by the Tanzania Ministry of Works
2011 document – Road Geometric Design Manual (Ref. 294); in detail the text says “the manual has been prepared through the technical co-operation between the Ministry of Works (MOW), the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS) and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA)”.
2016 document – Tanzania LVR Manual (Ref. 5280). Here the text says that “the Manual was developed under the policy direction of a Roads Technical Committee comprising senior representatives from MOWTC, President’s Office-Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), TANROADS and Road Fund Board (RFB). Technical guidance was provided by a Technical Working Group comprising representatives of the MOWTC, PO-RALG, TANROADS, Local Government Authorities, RFB and the local consulting industry” – and that “The UK Department for International Development (DFID) provided support of the development of the Manual through the African Community Access Programme (AFCAP)”.
2023 document – (Ref. 5275) It looks as if there is now a new manual in development. The International Road Federation website refers to an organisation called gktp which has been working on a Review of the Tanzania Road Geometric Design Manual (2011) and which has recently published a document on the Internet. Information suggests this is intended to lead to a new design manual for Tanzania.
Commentary
- Note that two of the documents mentioned involve input from government agencies from other countries (Norway, UK)
- One document involves input from a private organisation, an example of similar bodies becoming involved in road design standards in different countries
- The 2011 and 2016 documents listed the names of individuals who worked on the preparation of the documents. This seems to be a growing practice. We will probably be able to trace some of these experts as named authors in the preparation of similar documents for other countries, and even to develop a list of “leading authors” of road design standards
- A set of historic design standards could be used to see how advice on geometric design and on individual parameters, such as “terrain” and “side friction” have changed over time. This will be also an indication of consistency or plausibility (plausibility as in “where advice has changed, for good reasons”).
References
- Ref. 5278 Tanzania Geometric design of roads, Manual 1989
- Ref. 294 Tanzania, Road Geometric Design Manual (2011 ed)
- Ref. 5280 Tanzania LVR Manual part D (2016)
- Ref. 5275 Review of the Tanzania Road Geometric Design Manual (2011) (2023)
Comparative Geometrics 