Abstract:
Existing intersections and interchange designs can be deficient due to the inability to accommodate common traffic patterns and due to road networks being originally engineered for a strong hierarchy of intersecting roads when currently many intersecting roads have similar characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to introduce two new designs, developed by the author, which can accommodate the traffic patterns at major intersections and interchanges. The intersection design is called the "synchronized-split phasing intersection." The interchange design is called the "diverging diamond interchange." These designs take advantage of the benefits of split-phasing and signal synchronization to theoretically improve signal timing at heavy volume intersections or heavy turning movements. Simulations were conducted to compare the delay and total stops of these new designs to other conventional designs. The results showed that the synchronized split-phasing intersection and the diverging diamond interchange operated much more efficiently than the original designs. There seems to be great potential for these designs, although more research would be needed to look into alterations in traffic patterns and signal spacing, as well as a cost analysis.
