Chaussées

Chaussée is a French term used in civil engineering and road transport to denote the portion of a road or street that is designed for vehicular traffic. It generally refers to the carriageway, the road surface and its traffic lanes, and is distinguished from the sidewalk (trottoir) and from ancillary elements such as the shoulder or verge. In common usage, "la chaussée" may also refer to the entire paved surface of a road, regardless of the presence of different surface materials.

Construction of the chaussée rests on the natural subgrade and is built as a layered structure: sub-base or foundation, base course, and surface course. In modern road construction the surface course is usually an asphalt concrete (enrobé bitumineux) or a concrete pavement; older roads may use stabilized gravels or stone setts. Drainage is integral, with a camber to shed water toward side ditches or drainage pipes.

Design and dimensioning depend on expected loads, traffic mix, climate, and maintenance strategy. The width of the carriageway, the number of lanes, and the degree of curvature influence safety and capacity. Regular maintenance aims to preserve ride quality and structural integrity, including crack sealing, resurfacing, or complete reconstruction when deterioration is severe.

Regional usage: The term is standard in France and many French-speaking countries, and is often translated as carriageway or road pavement. Historically, chaussée also referred to older road surfaces such as compacted gravel or stone setts. In modern planning, the term helps distinguish the travel surface from adjacent elements like sidewalks, cycleways, and drainage infrastructure.