Driveway extension retaining wall question

[striker1000]

Hi I joined the forum because I keep coming across info on this forum when searching however I have not found exactly what I need. I was hoping I could get some advice please. The property is on a downhill bend so it is lower than the road it is on and already has an elevated driveway. Is it possible to make a retaining wall thicker so that you can extend an elevated driveway over it towards a house by about 1-1.2m? Or do you always have to take the retaining wall out, fill it then build a new retaining wall? Google maps does not show the actual driveway well enough so I found some examples here:

Street View · Google Maps

Explore a place in a more immersive way in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

I have read that if the retaining wall is over 1m high then a structural engineer's design is a must and in this case the retaining wall is over 1m high, which I think will make it more difficult to DIY. Also as you can see in the example, the driveways stretch across the width of the houses. This is not currently the case as it has steps in the middle and then another elevated section to the right about half the size of the driveway which also needs to be extended towards the house. I am new to this, what I am really looking for is some keywords and understanding to do some more research in order to weigh some options. Second picture in this article is what I am trying to ask about. What are these type of driveways called? Elevated driveways?

Best Retaining Wall Tips for Driveways and Parking Lots

Learn how to build Retaining Walls for Driveways and Parking Lots with our expert guide. CornerStone Wall Solutions shows you how it's done.

cornerstonewallsolutions.com

When you extend a driveway like this, does drainage also become an issue? Lastly I understand this is pretty varied depending on size and materials used but is it generally very costly to extend this type of existing driveway to go from covering about 18m^2 to 45m^2? Is it even possible?

Thank you.

 

[^woody^]

I have read that if the retaining wall is over 1m high then a structural engineer's design is a must

No, it's not. Common sense and building knowledge is.

Can you bullet point the questions?

 

[striker1000]

No, it's not. Common sense and building knowledge is.

Can you bullet point the questions?

Thanks for your reply.

My questions are:

1. Is it possible to make a retaining wall thicker so that you can extend an elevated driveway over it towards a house by about 1-1.2m? Or do you always have to take the retaining wall out, fill it then build a new retaining wall?
2. What are these type of driveways called? Elevated driveways? Are there any specific building related words to search for?
3. When you extend a driveway like this, does drainage also become an issue?
4. Lastly I understand this is pretty varied depending on size and materials used but is it generally very costly to extend this type of existing driveway to go from covering about 18m^2 to 45m^2? Is it even possible?

I found a better example:

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

Just want to understand the feasability of extending this kind of drive a bit forward and to the right (where the white car is). If its something relatively tedious and only a few can do therefore generally expensive or if its something common.