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 The following excerpt was taken from page 226 of the 1990 edition of AASHTO's A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets. The topography of the land traversed has an influence on the alignment of roads and streets. Topography does affect horizontal alignment, but it is more evident in the effect on vertical alignment. To characterize variations, engineers generally separate topography into three classifications according to terrain. Level terrain is that condition where highway sight distances, as governed by both horizontal and vertical restrictions, are generally long or could be made to be so without construction difficulty or major expense. Rolling terrain is that condition where the natural slopes consistently rise above and fall below the road or street grade and where occasional steep slopes offer some restriction to normal horizontal and vertical roadway alignment. Mountainous terrain is that condition where longitudinal and transverse changes in the elevation of the ground with respect to the road or street are abrupt and where benching and side hill excavation are frequently required to obtain horizontal and vertical alignment. Terrain classification pertains to the general character of a specific route corridor. Routes in valleys or passes or mountainous areas that have all the characteristics of roads or streets traversing level or rolling terrain should be classified as level or rolling. In general, rolling terrain generates steeper grades, causing trucks to reduce speeds below those of passenger cars, and mountainous terrain aggravates the situation, resulting in some trucks operating at crawl speeds.
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