INNOVATIVE INTERSECTION

SOLUTIONS

Jay Bockisch, PE, PTOE

Senior Associate
 INNOVATIVE INTERSECTION SOLUTIONS

• Innovative intersection overview

• Case studies
 Continuous flow intersection
 Modern roundabouts
 “Florida T” intersection
 Diverging diamond interchange
• Evaluation process
INTERSECTIONS: WHERE ROADS MEET
Connection Points Conflict Points
 Pedestrian activity  Reduced capacity
 Business activity  Safety concerns
 Connectivity  Access issues
 INNOVATIVE INTERSECTION OVERVIEW
• Questions
 What movement is most dangerous at an intersection?
 What movement is most stressful for drivers?
 What movement has greatest impact on pedestrians?
 What movement requires most additional space at an intersection?
 What movement impacts progression of traffic the most?
 INNOVATIVE INTERSECTION OVERVIEW
• Questions
 How many innovative intersection concepts can you find?
 INNOVATIVE INTERSECTION OVERVIEW

Why consider innovative intersections?

 Increase capacity
 Increase safety
 Context sensitive
 Reduce left turn conflicts
 Reduce delay
 Reduce impacts
 Reduce cost
 Reduce construction time
 Sustainabilty

“Do More with Less Resources”

 INCREASE CAPACITY

650 650 850 850

650 650 850 850

Conventional 4-lane roadway CFI 4-lane roadway

650 v/l/h x 4 lanes = 2600 v/h 850 v/l/h x 4 lanes = 3400 v/h
C=150 PM Peak C=120 PM Peak
 REDUCE DELAY
CFI VS. CONVENTIONAL INTERSECTIONS
• Reduction in average delay
 4-Legged CFI = 48% to 85%
 2-Legged CFI = 58% to 71%
 T-Intersection = 19% to 90%
• Up to 95% reduction in number of stops
• Up to 88% reduction is queue lengths
 INCREASE SAFETY
• 32 conflict points versus 8 conflict points
• Reduces crashes
 Overall by 39 percent
 Injury by 75 percent
 Fatalities by > 90 percent
• Increases efficient traffic flow up to 50 percent
 REDUCE LEFT TURN CONFLICTS
• Left turns
 Involved in many serious crashes
 Cause conflicts with pedestrians
 Reduce green time for through vehicles
 Queues can impede through vehicles
 Require significant right of way for storage
 INNOVATIVE INTERSECTION OPTIONS
•Full grade separated interchanges •Major at-grade improvements
 SPUI  Continuous flow intersection
 Diverging diamond interchange  Roundabouts
 Roundabout interchange  Florida T
•Grade separated intersection  Quadrant roadway
 Left turn flyover  Access management
 Echelon  Median U-Turns
•Minor at-grade improvements
 Turn lanes
 Signal timing optimization
 ITS “smart” intersections
 CASE STUDIES

• US 78/ SR 124 continuous

flow intersection
• Modern roundabouts
• Union Hill Road “Florida
T” intersection
• Bessemer Road diverging
diamond interchange
CONTINUOUS FLOW
INTERSECTIONS
 US 78 at SR 124
Gwinnett County, Georgia
CITIZEN OPPOSITION
15 – 20 YEARS AGO
CITIZEN OPPOSITION
7 – 10 YEARS AGO
 KEY ISSUES

• Significant traffic problem

• Unsafe intersection for all modes
• Did not want grade separation
• Previous Efforts
– Snellville bypass in early 1990’s
– Traffic circle in early 2000’s
 VIABLE ALTERNATIVES
3-Legged CFI 2-Legged CFI

Turn Lanes
Flyover
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS SIMULATION
$60 Million Rankings - Quantitative Evaluation
less than
Grade Ranking
Separation Improvement
Alternative
Type Weighted Staff Work
CAC
Criteria Group
CAC Preferred 2-legged CFI w/ EB
D2 1 1 1
Alternative Bypass

D1 2-legged CFI 2 2 2

EB Bypass w/ Turn
C 3 4 4
Lanes
3-legged CFI w/ EB
E2 4 5 3
Bypass

E1 3-legged CFI 5 6 5

Turn Lane
A 6 3 6
Improvements

B Left Turn Flyover 7 7 7

 PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

Phase 1
CFI
Phase 2
EB bypass

Phase 2
EB bypass
 CITIZEN SUPPORT
TODAY Great solution,
Yes, I support the only design
the proposed that will solve
project the problem

Yes, we need to
I believe it will cut improve traffic
down on accidents someway
and keep traffic
moving.
Great
design idea!

I support the
project, very
much needed! Should be a great I support, looks
improvement in like a good plan.
traffic flow.
MODERN ROUNDABOUTS
 MODERN ROUNDABOUTS
• Eliminate left turns
• Slow all vehicles down
• Yield on entry
• Douglas & Cobb Counties & Roswell
• Unique Columbiana Roundabout
• I-75/Carbondale Road Roundabout Interchange
ROUNDABOUT IN ROSWELL, GA
ROUNDABOUT IN ROSWELL, GA
ROUNDABOUT IN COLUMBIANA, AL
ROUNDABOUT IN COLUMBIANA, AL
I-75/CARBONDALE ROAD ROUNDABOUT
INTERCHANGE
FLORIDA “T” INTERSECTION
UNION HILL ROAD AT MULLINAX ROAD

•Thru traffic issue

 Need to widen main route
 High directional volumes
 Required realigning mainline
•Closely spaced intersections
•Issues with ROW
•Need to reduce delay & stops
UNION HILL ROAD “FLORIDA T”

• Tied closely spaced

intersections together
• Reduced impact to adjacent
properties
• Accommodate high
directional volumes
• Reduces stops and delay
• NOT pedestrian friendly
UNION HILL ROAD “FLORIDA T”
DIVERGING DIAMOND
INTERCHANGE
BESSEMER ROAD INTERCHANGE
BESSEMER ROAD INTERCHANGE
 BESSEMER ROAD DIVERGING DIAMOND
INTERCHANGE
• TDOT Request – Study Dual Roundabout as an alternative
• DDI selected as Preferred Alternative
o High Level of Service
o Lower Cost
o Increase Safety
o Shorter Construction Schedule
BESSEMER ROAD DIVERGING DIAMOND
INTERCHANGE
•Need to improve existing
diamond interchange
•Left/through vehicles cross
over before interchange
•Can be constructed in
existing right of way
•No new bridge structures
required
•Increased capacity
•Accommodate heavy left
turns
BESSEMER ROAD DIVERGING DIAMOND
INTERCHANGE
BESSEMER ROAD DIVERGING DIAMOND
INTERCHANGE
BESSEMER ROAD DIVERGING DIAMOND
INTERCHANGE
 EVALUATION PROCESS
• Identify candidate locations
 Citizen, public official and staff input
 Prepare a needs assessment
• Identify range of potential solutions
• Evaluate range of potential solutions
 Environmental and historic property impacts
 Right of way constraints
 Geometric constraints
 System constraints
 Cost of right of way and construction
 Stakeholder input
• Receive public input
 SUMMARY

• Thanks for joining us today

• We have a lot of tools in our tool box

• People seem to be willing to think outside the box

 Save Cost
 Be more sustainable
 Less impact

• As pro’s we need to be creative

QUESTIONS?