Highway Engineering

Intersections &
Interchanges

Lecture 9

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 Intersections

Intersections are where two or more roads meet and are the points
of potential vehicle conflict. Road intersection is critical element of
a road section.

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 Objectives of Intersection Design

 Improve traffic flow, by increasing capacity and

reducing delay, and
 Improve safety, by reducing the likelihood of
accidents

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 Intersection Design Considerations

1. The design should reduce the points of conflicts

among different streams of traffic and between
pedestrians and turning vehicles.
2. Separating points of conflicts
3. Control the relative speed
4. Give high priority to directions having high speed and
volume
5. Provide smooth flow of traffic
6. Should not located at or just beyond sharp vertical
4 curves or at steep horizontal curves.
 Types of Intersections

1) At-grade intersections
2) Interchanges
3) Grade-separated (without ramps)

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 Types of At-Grade Intersections

1) T or 3-leg intersection (3 approaches)

2) 4-leg intersection (4 approaches)
3) Multilane intersections

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 Types of T or 3-Leg Intersections

1) Plain T- intersection.
2) T- intersection with right turning lane.
3) Channelized T- intersection with two divisional
islands.
4) Channelized T- intersection with: right turning
lane, passing lane for through movement, and
storage lane for left turning vehicles.
5) Channelized y intersection.

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 Types of T or 3-Leg Intersections

1) Plain T- intersection

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 Types of T or 3-Leg Intersection

2) T- intersection with right turning lane.

Additional lane is provided to separate right turning vehicles from

through vehicles
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 Types of T or 3-Leg Intersections

3) Channelized T- intersection with two divisional

islands.

Channelization: is the separation of conflicting traffic movements

into definite paths of travel by using island or pavement marking.
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 Types of T or 3-Leg Intersections

4) Channelized T- intersection with: right turning lane,

passing lane for through movement, and storage lane
for left turning vehicles.

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 Types of T or 3-Leg intersections

5) Channelized y intersection.

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 Types of 4-Leg Intersections

1) Plain 4- leg intersections.

2) 4- leg intersection with channelized islands.
3) 4- leg intersection with divisional islands.
4) 4- leg channelized intersection.

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 Types of 4-Leg Intersections

1) Plain 4- leg intersections.

used for minor roads

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 Types of 4-Leg Intersections

2) 4- leg intersection with channelized islands.

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 Types of 4-Leg Intersections

3) 4- leg intersection with divisional islands.

used for high turning movement and frequent pedestrian

crossing
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 Types of 4-Leg Intersections

4) 4- leg channelized intersection.

used for high through and high turning volume, usually

signalize
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 Roundabout (Rotary Intersection)

Placed at the intersection of three or more legs, basically

it is one way road around a central island.
Roundabout are preferred to be used when:
 There is equal traffic volume approaching from all
directions.
 The design hourly volume approaching the intersection
does not exceed 3000 veh/hr.

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 Sight Distance at Intersection

Obstructions: any object at a height above the elevation of the

adjacent roadways that would obstruct the driver’s view should be
removed or lowered, if practical.

At signalized intersection, the unobstructed view may be limited to

the area where the signals are located.

At unsignalized intersections, it is necessary to provide an adequate

view of the cross roads to reduce the potential of collision.

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 Sight Distance at Intersection

Approach Sight Triangles:

Each quadrant of an intersection should contain a triangular area free of
obstructions that might block an approaching driver’s view of potentially
conflicting vehicles. The length of the legs of this triangular area, along both
intersecting roadways, should be such that the drivers can see any
conflicting vehicles in sufficient time to slow (adjust speed) or stop before
colliding within the intersection.

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 Sight Distance at Intersection

db a

da da  b
1) To adjust speeds (t= 3sec):
Va t
da  major road
3.6
Vb t
db 
3.6
minor road
2) To stop
da 
Va t

Va 2 da: sight distance required for major road
3.6 254 (f  g) db: sight distance required for minor road
Vb t Vb 2
db  
3.6 254 (f  g)
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 Example (1)

If the speed on the major road = 60 kph, what should be the speed
limit on the local road such that minimum sight distance is provided to
allow the drivers to avoid collision by adjusting their speed? Assume
distances a= 19.5m, b= 13.5m.
Solution:
Speed limit on the major road = 60 kph
Sight distance required da, da  Va t  60 * 3  50m
3.6 3.6
Sight distance available on the minor road db, db  a
50 *19.5 da da  b
db   26.7 m
50  13.5
Vb t
Maximum speed allowed on the minor road Vb, db 
3.6 * 26.7 3.6
Vb   32kph
22 3
 Example (2)

If the speed on the major road = 60 kph, what should be the

maximum safe speed on the minor road? Assume distances a= 25m,
b= 18m, grade= 2%, t= 2.5sec.
Solution:

Va t Va 2 60 * 2.5 (60) 2
da      94.2m
3.6 254 (f  g) 3.6 254 (0.25  0.02)

db a 94.2 * 25
 db   30.9m
da da  b 94.2  18
Vb t Vb 2
db  
3.6 254 (f  g)
Vb * 2.5 Vb 2
30.9   Vb  28kph
23 3.6 254 (0.25  0.02)
 Highway Engineering

Interchanges

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 Interchanges

Interchange: is a road section that typically uses grade separation,

and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to
pass through the section without directly crossing any other traffic
stream. The rates of accidents are reduced because conflicts between
intersecting streams are eliminated.

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 Interchange Functions & Advantages

Interchange functions are:

 To provide grade-separation between two or more traffic highways.
 To make possible transfer of vehicles from one highway to others.

Interchange advantages are:

 Increase safety
 Increase capacity
 Reduce accident
 Reduce delay
 Stage construction
26  Average speed is high
 Interchange Design Considerations

Factors that should be considered during interchange

design:
1. Topography of the site
2. Traffic characteristics
3. Land availability
4. Impact on environment
5. Economic factors

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 Types of Interchanges

1) T or Trumpet interchange
2) Diamond interchange
3) Cloverleaf interchange
4) Partial cloverleaf interchange

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 Types of Interchanges

1) T or Trumpet interchange.
• simple and generally least costly
• should be when three legs are present
• used when moderate capacity is required

Ascending Descending
ramp ramp

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 Types of Interchanges

2) Diamond interchange.
• simple and generally least costly
• freeway cross a non- freeway arterials
• flow on the freeway is uninterrupted except at ramp entrance and exits

Ascending Descending

Descending Ascending
ramp

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 Types of Interchanges

3) Cloverleaf interchange
• Freeway intersect freeway
• All eight turning movement are free of conflicts
• High cost of construction

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 Types of Interchanges

4) Partial cloverleaf interchange.

• Designed in many forms with loops in different quadrants to fit
topography and traffic pattern.
• Can be changed to cloverleaf interchange if needed.

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