Impact of Haul Road Width to Open Pit Mining Costs

Haul road width can greatly affect the mine-able volume requirements in large-scale open pit mines, so a reduction in road width is expected to reduce direct costs by minimizing mining tonnage. Slide 2 software determined that narrower roads did not affect safety for the effective pit slope angles. The original design of a large-scale mine was replicated in MineSight, and a volumetric report was generated for the road width standard of three and a half times the width of the largest truck. Two alternative road widths were evaluated: three times the truck width and two and a half times the width. A volumetric comparison found that mines with narrower haul roads were smaller, more selective and ultimately did not require moving as much material. Financial analyses were then completed regarding savings on less material movement, reduced drilling and blasting costs, and savings on road maintenance. Direct mining cost savings could exceed millions of dollars in large-scale operations. Safety concerns due to narrower roads can be mitigated by using existing autonomous haul systems that do not require manned vehicles.