The "berm side of the road" refers to a specific elevated strip of ground running alongside the roadway. It is a common feature designed to serve various practical and safety functions.
Understanding a Berm
A berm is essentially a raised strip of ground that extends along the side of a road, highway, or even train tracks or a body of water like a river or lake. It is often a stretch of grass or land that forms a distinctive shelf, slightly elevated from the main thoroughfare. This elevated section provides a clear delineation and serves various practical purposes.
Key Characteristics of a Roadside Berm
To better understand what constitutes a berm next to a road, consider these key characteristics:
- Raised Structure: It is always higher than the immediate surrounding terrain, creating a visible and often traversable elevation.
- Linear Formation: Berms typically run parallel to the road for a significant distance, following its curvature.
- Material: While often composed of earth and covered with grass, berms can also be constructed from other materials depending on their purpose and location.
- Purposeful Design: Berms are not accidental formations but are often engineered or naturally occurring features that serve a function.
Functions and Importance of Berms
Berms along roadsides serve multiple critical functions, enhancing both safety and environmental management:
- Drainage Control: Berms can help direct rainwater away from the road surface, preventing pooling and hydroplaning, thereby improving driving safety. They can also prevent erosion of the road's edge.
- Safety Barrier: In some cases, a robust berm can act as a natural barrier, potentially slowing down or stopping vehicles that veer off the road, reducing the severity of accidents.
- Noise Abatement: Larger, strategically placed berms, especially those planted with vegetation, can effectively reduce noise pollution from traffic for nearby residential areas.
- Visual Screening & Aesthetics: Berms can obscure unsightly features or provide a more pleasant, natural landscape along a busy road.
- Wildlife Protection: They can sometimes create a small buffer zone, discouraging wildlife from directly entering the road.
Where You Might See a Berm
You'll encounter berms in various environments, not just along roads. For instance, just as one might stand on a berm beside a lake with a fishing pole, ready to bait a hook, roadside berms are common sights. They are prevalent along:
- Highways and Freeways: Often used for drainage, noise reduction, and safety.
- Rural Roads: Can help define the road edge and manage water runoff.
- Urban Areas: Sometimes used in landscaping projects or as part of pedestrian pathways.
What a Berm Is Not
It's important to distinguish a berm from other roadside features:
- Shoulder: While a shoulder is also alongside the road, it's typically a paved or graveled area at the same level as the road, intended for temporary stops or emergency use. A berm is a raised strip of ground.
- Ditch: A ditch is a depression, whereas a berm is an elevation.
| Characteristic | Berm | Shoulder | Ditch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | Raised strip of ground (a kind of shelf) | At the same level as the road | Depression below road level |
| Material | Earth, grass, or other raised land | Paved or graveled | Earth, often collects water |
| Primary Use | Drainage, safety barrier, noise abatement, visual | Emergency stops, breakdown area | Water collection, drainage |
