Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are anticipated to supersede human drivers with an expectation of improved safety and operation. Since current infrastructure is designed based on the constraints caused by human drivers, it must be reassessed for autonomous driving compatibility. Recently, representatives from the infrastructure owners/operators (IOOs), automotive industry, and academia have advocated for new approaches to prepare roadways for the deployment of AVs over the next decade. Following these recommendations, this paper proposes a novel, simulation‐based approach for the assessment of highways "readiness" for AVs using 3D point cloud data. The proposed method uses octrees to perform volumetric queries for potential obstructions within an AV sensory field. The proposed approach is compared to a state‐of‐the‐art raycasting approach. Consequently, available sight distances and maximum safe speed limits based on road and AV characteristics are proposed. Finally, a discussion of the potential mitigation measures at the locations with limited sight distances is presented.