How to Use Road Tools in RapidPlan Online to Create a Traffic Plan

Creating a traffic control and management plan starts with a solid road layout,  and that’s where RapidPlan Online’s Road Tools come in.  This intuitive tool lets you draw, edit, and customise road networks directly on your plan, using real-world satellite imagery as your guide.

Whether you’re mapping a temporary detour, marking lane closures, or designing an intersection layout, RapidPlan Online makes it fast, precise, and fully compliant — no CAD software required.

In this short guide, we’ll walk through how to use the Road Tools to prepare the foundation of the traffic plan.  If you prefer a video walkthrough, please watch the video on our YouTube channel.

Step 1:  Open the Road Tool

Navigate to the Tools tab and select the Road Tools.  Click on your canvas to begin drawing. Each click drops a control point, allowing you to create smooth curves or straight segments. When your road is complete, right-click to finish.

💡 Tip: On your tablet, you can tap to add control points, then tap Confirm Selection when you’re done.

Step 2: Refine Your Road Layout

Once placed, click (or tap) the road to reveal its control points. You can drag these points to fine-tune alignment, match underlying imagery, or adjust curvature.To create intersections or adjoining roads, simply add additional roads since they’ll merge seamlessly, keeping your plan clean and consistent.

Step 3: Customise Road Properties

Every road you create can be fully customised to represent your site conditions. In the Properties Palette, you can:

• Change the number of lanes and lane widths

• Adjust dash styles, colours, and outlines

• Modify edges, sidewalks, and shoulders for width and colour

These options help you quickly create layouts that reflect the exact road geometry in your project area.

Step 4 – Add Crosswalks, Medians, and Road Masks

Round out your plan with complementary tools. Each of these works just like the Road Tool, making it easy to master and fast to apply.

• Crosswalk Tool: Click or tap to place, then use rotation and resize handles for alignment.

• Flush Median Tool: Define medians using the same click-and-draw method.

• Road Mask Tool: Hide unwanted markings — such as overlapping lane lines in intersections — to keep visuals accurate and clean.
  

Step 5: Review and Refine

After you’ve built your layout, zoom out to ensure all roads connect seamlessly. Adjust curves, widths, and colours as needed — every change updates instantly, giving you a real-time view of your plan.

Try RapidPlan Online for Free

Design your traffic control plans directly on Google Maps, Mapbox, or aerial imagery, giving you access to the most up-to-date mapping data available. With RapidPlan Online, you can create and edit plans in minutes — all from your browser, without the cost or complexity of CAD software.