What does the gradient of a road indicate?

Answer 1

The gradient of the slope of a road can be expressed as the angle of the incline ie a flat road is 0°, a perpendicular face being 90°, however traditionally, angles have never been used in the UK to describe the steepness of a road. Instead gradients of roads are generally expressed in one of two different ways, one being the "old style" and the other being the "modern style":

1. The Old Style

The standard of unit of measure relates the number of inches, feet, yards or miles travelled vertically (the vertical rise) with the number travelled horizontally.

In other words if you climb 10 yards over a 30 yard horizontal distance that hill is a "1:3" or "1 in 3"- in other words a steep incline.