What is a crowned road?

What is a crowned road?

• A. A road surface that is lower in the middle than at its sides.
• B. A road surface that is higher in the middle than at its sides.
• C. A road with grooved center lines.
• D. A road with raised shoulders on both sides.

Answer: (B)

A crowned road is built with a higher center and slopes down toward the edges, so water runs off to the sides. This design helps keep the center of the lane drier and improves drainage, reducing hydroplaning in wet conditions. The other descriptions refer to different features—lowering the middle would trap water, grooved center lines describe texture or markings, and raised shoulders are edge features—not the overall slope that defines a crown.

A crowned road is built with a higher center and slopes down toward the edges, so water runs off to the sides. This design helps keep the center of the lane drier and improves drainage, reducing hydroplaning in wet conditions. The other descriptions refer to different features—lowering the middle would trap water, grooved center lines describe texture or markings, and raised shoulders are edge features—not the overall slope that defines a crown.