Ghost Island

The ‘Design Manual for Roads & Bridges’ (DMRB) outlines the mandatory requirements for a ghost
island right-turn lane at priority T-junctions on trunk roads, based on a threshold for minor road
traffic flow of 500 vehicles per day at urban junctions (HA, 1995a).

What is a Ghost Island?

‘Ghost islands’ take the form of a dedicated traffic lane for vehicles turning right from the major
road, at junctions under priority control, with non-physical separation provided by road markings
to allocate road space.

Highway design guidance defines a ghost island as “an at-grade junction, usually a T- or staggered
junction, within which an area is marked on the carriageway, shaped and located so as to direct
traffic movement” (HA, 1995a). On the other hand, ‘simple’ junctions do not have any ghost or
physical islands in the major road.

Purpose
The purpose of a ghost island is stated as “to provide right turning vehicles with a degree of shelter
from the through flow”

Decision criteria for selecting ghost islands

 Design year traffic flow
 The nature and proportions of large goods and passenger carrying vehicles
 Geometric and traffic delays
 An initial estimate of entry and turning stream capacities
 Accident costs

Additional suggested considerations include site constraints, topography, and other roads users
(pedestrians, cyclists, buses)

At existing rural junctions, or at urban junctions (existing or new), there are 3 stated situations
for which a right turn facility (not specifically a ghost island) “should always be considered”:
1. The minor road flow exceeds 500 vehicles 2-way AADT”. AADT is Annual Average Daily Traffic (a
measure of daily traffic, averaged to account for daily and seasonal differences);

2) Where “a right turning accident problem is evident”

3) Where “vehicles waiting on the major road to turn right inhibit the through flow and create a
hazard” (HA, 1995a).
SAFETY BENEFITS
Rural ghost islands have been shown to reduce the frequency of collisions involving right turn
movements from the major road by 70%.

However, this only represents one type of collision, and actually the overall conclusion from the
Pickering et al. research indicates that rural ghost islands do not provide a statistically significant
road safety benefit versus simple junctions.

IRC SP 35
The taper rate given in will be applied at ghost island junctions in order to create right
turn protected traffic lanes, allowing free flow in major road

If the physical island cannot be installed, wide open area effect can be avoided by
providing Ghost Island so as to streamline the traffic movement within core junction
area. The minimum area of a physical island shall never be less than 6 sqm, lest it is
unlikely to be noticed by traffic, resulting in collision. In such situations, the wide area
affect can be minimised through Ghost Island.
Creating ghost Island in the main carriageway eases the right turning vehicle and also
provides some shelter to right turning traffic from through traffic. Ghost Island is not
desirable for single carriageway as the overtaking of vehicle has the chances of conflicting
with right turning traffic.
However, a storage lane provision with Ghost Island as shown in this figure below is a
better solution than compelling right turning traffic to wait in the through lane, which can
be created by a width of 3 m to 3.5 m at junction influence area.

 The width of through lane(s) should not be more than 3.65 m and not less than 3.0
m.
 The desirable width of turning lane is 3.5 m but at urban junctions it is
advantageous to use wider turning lane not exceeding 5 m so that the right turning
vehicle can have some shelter.
 The width of the Ghost Island should be between 2.5 m and 3.5 m and not less
than 2.5 m in any case.

Right turn protected T junction

The width of through lane(s) should not be more than 5.5 m unlike with Ghost Island due
to raised island and invariably between two raised kerb or island, a minimum of 5.5 m
shall be maintained. This minimum width shall be catered in the formation of Physical
Island, in case the triangular island shall be with ghost islands
Other applications in which ghost islands are provided below