What is highway architecture? Who are the highway architects? Where do
they practice? What is their role? WHAT IS HIGHWAY ARCHITECTURE? Highway
architecture is a way of attempting to achieve the best of both worlds
by shepherding a highway project from planning through design,
construction, and operation. It is an approach to rebuilding our highway
infrastructure, from a humanistic rather than strictly an engineering
point of view. Continuity of purpose is the prime objective. A corollary
goal is to make the highway an integral part of its setting. As now
practiced, the building or rebuilding of anyone highway is partitioned,
fragmented, and compartmentalized. Planners hand a concept to designers;
design- ers then prepare plans and specifications and pass their work on
to construction people; construction people build the highway and turn
it over to maintenance personnel. Rarely does one find continuity from
planning to operation of a facility. WHO ARE THE HIGHWAY ARCHITECTS?
Although it is unlikely that anyone hands out a business card with
occupation listed as "Highway Architect," this does not mean that no one
practices the profession. Highway architects are those people who share
the responsibility for developing a highway project. True, the practice
is quite limited, but site development entrepre- neurs, rural county
engineers, landscape architects, and consultants to smaller local
governments often perform as highway architects. They take a project
from concep- tion to completion and are concened with how the local
community will react to it.
