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At-Grade Intersection Design

CE 453 Lecture 32

For a nice overview of intersection design, see

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/flex/ch08.htm
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Objectives

Basic intersection dimensions

Turning templates

High-speed intersections

Other considerations

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Design Vehicle

Source:
www\fhwa\Flexibility in
Highway Design - Chapter 8
- FHWA.htm

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Curb Radius

Factors of influence:
• Design vehicle
• Intersection angle
• Approach width and parking
• Channelization
• Pedestrians
• Allowable speed reduction
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Curb Radius

Green Book minimums assume:
• Turning Speed ≤ 10 mph
• Vehicle properly positioned beginning
and end
• Vehicle doesn’t cross inner edge of
pavement

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Radius Designs

• Simple curve
• Low speed collector, local streets
• Simple circle with taper
• 3-centered compound curve

Curb Radius

General Guidance
• 10 to 25 ft. local
• 25 to 30 ft. collectors
• 30 to 35 ft. unchannelized intersections with
arterials

Source: www\fhwa\Flexibility in Highway Design - Chapter 8 - FHWA.htm

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Minimize lane encroachment

R = 15 feet

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Simple Curve (passenger car

template)

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Simple Curve with Taper

(passenger car template)

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Compound curves (passenger

car template)

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Higher Speed Turns

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Intersection Design
Considerations
for Pedestrians

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Provide median refuge to

provide crossing in stages

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Provision of crosswalks

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Intersections on High
Speed Rural Divided
Expressways

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High speed expressway

intersections

Iowa DOT is building many rural
expressways

At-grade intersections can be very
dangerous

Don’t use traffic signals as a safety
measure (in most cases) - leave as 2-
way stop or replace with interchange

There are alternate measures …

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Alternate measures

Double yellow center line and stop bars in the median
• maintain and replace frequently

More and longer left and right turn lane
• Offset!

Paved shoulders near the intersections

"T“ intersections

Offset "T" intersections
• much fewer conflict points

Restricted median
• allow lefts in and rights in and out
• prohibit lefts out and cross traffic

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Alternate measures

Education about proper process via media (print or
electronic)
• stop, look left only and enter into the median
• stop in the median
• look right and then cross or turn left onto the
expressway

Advisory speed limit 10-mph below the posted speed
• Signs on both sides (where fast aggressive drivers
operate)
• In low volumes, traffic may not slow down
• In peak hours one slows – everyone slows

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US 65 Bondurant Example

Speed study done before and after
• Some problems with the speed
plates
• Intense enforcement during the
before and after period
• Data show promise

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median sign west on Boone

Another idea … on US-30

Initially solar powered
strobe light above the sign
to draw attention

was distracting to drivers
on US- 30

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Change Blindness

A psychological phenomenon

Lots of roadside items = ease of estimating speed

Clean roadside = not so easy

Gray/white/blue sky – lots of glare

Older drivers

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Overhead intersection
beacons?

Recent research in
Minnesota
• ineffective
• confuse motorists
(drivers may think the
flashing red beacon
means 4-way stop)
• now removing over head
flashing intersection
beacons in favor of red
beacon on the stop sign

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Another Idea

Overhead lighting

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Circular Intersections

Rotaries: large diameter > 300 ft, allows
speeds > 30 mph with minimum horizontal
deflection of the path of through traffic

Neighborhood traffic circle: small diameter,
for local streets, traffic calming

Roundabout
• Yield control at each approach
• Separation of conflicting movements
• Speed < 30 mph (typically)

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DuPont Circle, Washington,

D.C. (Google Earth image)

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Urbandale

Image – Google Earth

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A6 Motorway near Crooklands

Image – Google Earth

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