How to build perfectly parallel straight and curved highways

This is my very first guide, so please be gracious!

As the title says, in this guide I will tell all of you, who want to know, how to build perfect straight AND parallel highways. I will show you a few tricks I thought myself to get the highways perfectly straight AND parallel, and not just for straight ones, I will also show you how to get curved highways perfectly parallel. I will show you all the tricks I know, some mods and tools you can use and a few other things.

NOTE: All screenshots seen in this guide are taken from my current (and only) city, but don't wonder, if something I've build in the first pictures won't appear in later pictures, because I've build some highways just for YOU, to show you a few of my techniques to make your highways perfect!

Feel free to leave a comment and/or a positive rating.

1. Building a perfectly straight AND parallel highway

In this section I will explain, how to build a perfectly straight AND parallel highway next to an area with a rectangular layout or at least a straight outline. If you want to build a highway parallel to your area with a curved outline, this will be explained in the 2nd chapter.

NOTE: I highly recommend to use the "Precision Engineering"-Tool by Simie, this is what you can see in the screens. It is super helpful, cause it measures the angles, distances and heights of your roads and railways and much more.
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=445589127

Back to business! For example, if you have an area with a straight outline like this:
Step 1: So, if you now want to build a highway right beneath that area, you have to do a little preparation to ensure the perfect results. At first you have to "draw" a few guide lines, just simple 2 lane roads, with a certain distance to your outline road and of course with a perfect 90° angle, which distance is up to you. Build the first road at the beginning of your outline, choose the distance, I usually make it 10 squares long, the tool shows it as 10u (units probably), but it's up to you. I always build elevated highways, therefore I elevated it by 1 to 12m (also shown by the tool), but you can also build flat highways, BUT with a bumpy terrain like this, it can cause problems building the guide lines or connecting the roads. When the first guide line is done, build a second one a few blocks further, with the same distance and height of course. When you're done, you should have these two roads:

Step 2: Afterwards you can build your highway between your two roads, watch the right direction, then it should look like this:

Step 3: Then you have to build two more guide lines to make the highway lanes perfectly parallel to each other, I highly commend to use a distance of 4, because all the existing highways in the game as well as the intersections have this distance between the single lanes. Also most creative intersection creators (like myself) use this distance, just to prevent problems with own highways and existing highways or intersections. Just build the two roads at the beginning and end of your little highway section, then you should have this:

Step 4: Now you can add the second highway lane to your highway by just connecting the new guide line roads with each other, again watch the right direction! Looks like this:

There you go, now you have a perfectly straight AND parallel highway next to your area:

Step 5: But you're not done yet, maybe you should extend the highway a little bit (if you want to). You can also remove the guide line roads now. Then just extend both lanes to whatever length you want to have. I commend to build both lanes in the same direction AND then use the upgrade function to change the direction of that one lane by right-clicking on it, holding and moving along the lane until you're finished, like shown here:

And there you have it, a beautiful and perfectly straight and parallel highway, that covers your whole area and connects it to the world or at least to somewhere else. Of course you have to connect it yourself to your other roads and highways, you can do it. Before it looks like this:

2. Building perfectly curved parallel highways

So, in this section I will explain to you, how to build a highway perfectly parallel next to an area with a curved outline, if you are intending to do so. How to build a curved parallel highway as a connection between two highways will be explained in the 3rd chapter. For example, if you have an area like this:

On the left side you can see the outline of the area, it is curved. So, if you now want to connect the two highways shown in the picture AND want to have the highway parallel to your outline, you have to do a few preparations again, like when you build a straight parallel highway, but with curved highways it is a bit more complicated, but I will explain this step by step, just for you!

Step 1: At first you have to find the starting point of the curve by selecting a 2 lane road and move the mouse over the road, where the straight road is connected with the curved one. When you found it, the cursor should automatically snap to this point. Then just build a 2 lane road as your guide line, watch that the 90° angle is on the curved road, NOT the straight one. Just select the length and height of the road, I did it again 10 squares long and elevated it by 1 to 12m, but this is completely up to you. It should then look like this:

Step 2: The next step is to find the ending point of your curve and do the same thing, find the intersection point and build another guide line road with the same length and height as the first one, watch again that the 90° degree angle is on the curved road! Then you should have this:

Step 3: Now comes the funniest part, you have to "draw" a few more guide lines, to find the exact vertex of the later curve. For that you simply have to build a 2 lane road from the first guide line road in a 90° angle, make it long enough so that the other road can be connected on the right spot later. Either you make it longer and try to connect the second road to the right spot OR try to make the first road exactly as long as it needs to be to connect the second road in the right spot, so that the angle to the small guide line road at the start has a 90° angle. You have to try a few times maybe to find the right length for the first road, but with the Precision Engineering-Tool it should not be a problem. I choose the first method and so the angle on the right side to the guide line road is only 88,6°, but with this method it's hardly possible to get the perfect 90° angle. But it's alright. When you followed my advices, you should see this:

Step 4: Afterwards you have the road with the exact vertex, but you have to change it a little bit. Just delete all parts of the road from the outside to the inside and maybe the rest of the first road that stands out (seen in the right pic above) EXCEPT for the last two parts, that are the actual peak, as seen in these pictures:
Step 5: When you are done with this, you can now build the actual curved highway. Choose the highway and the curved road tool, start at the left side and move the cursor to the vertex road, try to get it exactly onto the middle of the road (look from above on the road) and maintain a 90° angle between this road and the guide line road, you can press the CTRL-button to help you, it snaps to the angle in 5° increments. When you think you found the exact spot, click, drag the road to the other side and connect it to the guide line road. And don't worry, if the angle at the end is not exactly 90°, I have 90,1°, I think it's alright like that. It should then look like shown here:

Step 6: Now you have one lane done, but there's still one more to build. For that you have to build a few guide line roads again, build one at the beginning and one at the end of your curved highway, of course with a 90° angle to the highway and a length of 4 squares (4u). Watch that the height is approximately the same as the highway. Then you have this:

Now you basically repeat the steps 3 to 5.

Step 7: Same as Step 3, you draw one road from the one side in a 90° angle to the middle, long enough that the other road can be connected OR try to find the right length by trying to connect the second road in a perfect 90° angle, that's what I did. Should look like here then:

Step 8: Same as Step 4, now that you have the road with the vertex, delete all parts except for the two parts in the middle, which make up the peak of the curve. Looks like this then:

Step 9: Same as Step 5, building the 2nd highway lane. Just choose the highway and the curved road tool, this time start at the other side, to build the road in the right direction. Click and move the cursor to the exact middle of the vertex, try to maintain a 90° angle to the guide line road at the start of your curve, here I had just 88°, but it was good enough for me. Click, when you found the exact middle of the peak and then move the road to the other side and connect it with the second guide line road. As you can see, I had an angle of 90,6° on the left side, which is also close enough for me. You should see this then:

And there you have it, a perfectly parallel curved highway next to the curved outline of your area. I checked the distance between the two lanes on several spots and it is always 4 squares, so despite I haven't go the perfect 90° angles on the guide line roads, I still got my highways perfectly parallel. You can now delete all guide line roads. Afterwards it looks like this:

3. Building curved parallel highways to connect other highways

In the third chapter I will explain how to connect two highways with a curved road and get it perfectly parallel. So, if you have an area like this one with two highways, that you want to connect to each other with a perfect parallel and curved road.

Step 1: At first you have to make sure that both lanes on each side are exactly the same length and approximately the same height. Then again you have to draw some guide lines to find the vertex of the curve. And always start with the inner lane! You better draw the first line a little longer, so it is easier to connect the second road. I did them the exact length I needed. Why? Cause I can ;). Watch out that both roads have a 180° angle on the highway, that's important for perfect results. Should look like this:

Step 2: The next step is to delete all parts of the guideline road besides the two parts in the middle. Looks like here:

Step 3: Now you simply have to use the curved road tool, like in the previous chapter, and build your first curved road. Choose the tool, then start to draw the line to the vertex and try to get to the exact peak of it (look from above), maybe you need a few tries to get the perfect 180° angle (when your roads stand in a perfect 90° angle to each other). I was fine with 176,3°. When you have the right angle, build the road and you're halfway home. Don't forget to delete the vertex road:
There you go, the first lane is done and looks really nice, but that's only the first one:

Now you just have to repeat the steps 1 - 3.

Step 4: Same as step 1, draw two more guideline roads to the other highway lane, again watch out for a perfect 180° angle. Looks like this:

Step 5: Same as step 2, afterwards you delete the road, exept for the middle part again:

Step 6: Same as step 3, now, guess what, you use the curved road tool again, try to find the exact peak of the vertex, draw the road, try too keep the perfect angle and BOOM!, you have your second lane done. Shown here:

TADA! Your second highway lane is done and seems to be perfectly parallel to the other, looks amazing, doesn't it?


That's it, Folks! I showed you all my tricks to get your highways as perfect as they can get. If I maybe missed something or you want something else get explained, write a comment below. And don't forget to rate my guide, Thank you!

Yours sincerly,

RM1985

[RM1985]

You're very welcome, I appreciate it!

[whashj0]

Previously someone said to use the parallel road tool. I cannot understand those instructions. Your way, by the way, is simple to follow and must have taken a while to experiment with. I will use your way to do my highways. Thank you for your work!

[RM1985]

Yea, but this tool was not available over two years ago, when I wrote this guide! And mods sometimes can cause problems with your game, doing it this way DOESN'T!

[Aturchomicz]

just use the pararell road tool

[hina-maka]

Awesome for OCD people like me!

[saskfred]

great display and logic wow impressive

[simnonymous007]

Thumbs up for a great explanation. The pictures are worth 1,000 words, as they say. Thanks!

[RM1985]

You just have to click on the straight road tool again to build regular roads, it's the first of the 4 symbols.

[jivespark4]

how do you exit upgrade mode for your roads

[Phoottis]

Nice guide. To removing roads and have them at the same length, sometimes I'm having problems with it as the cut amount is in a different spot compared to another road next to it.