Freeway Facilities

Freeway Components
Basic Segments: located outside of the influence
area of ramps and weaving.
On-Ramp (freeway) Junction Segments: area of
competing traffic demand for space between through
and entering traffic.
Off-Ramp (freeway) Junction Segments: area of
competing traffic demand for space (right most lane)
between through and exiting traffic.
Weaving Area Segments: area of traffic turbulence
contained within a merge section quickly followed by
a diverge section; or an on-ramp quickly followed by a
connected off-ramp.

Turbulence on Uninterrupted Flow

Facilities
Weaving areas (weaving occurs when one movement
must cross the path of another along a length of facility
without the aid of signals of other control devices)
Merging areas (merging occurs when two separate
traffic streams join to form a single stream)
Diverging areas (diverging occurs when one traffic
stream separates to form two separate traffic streams)

Freeway Segmenting
Section wherever
changes in traffic
demand (on-, offramp) or in crosssection capacity
occurs.
Further divide
sections into
segments according
to previous segment
definitions.

Freeway Segmenting

Basic Segment Methodology

LOS Table for basic, weaving,

merge and diverge segments

Basic Segment Methodology

Level of Service Computation

Step 3. Construct a speed flow curve

for the facility using free flow speed
interpolations.

Step 4. Determine the average

passenger car speed, S, associated
with the flow rate computed in Step 2
given the curve constructed in Step
3.

Step 5. Compute the density.

Step 1. Compute the free flow speed

FFS BFFS f LW f LC f N f ID
Where: FFS = free flow speed,
BFFS = base free flow speed (60 mph,
default),

Step 2. Compute the flow rate

V
vp
( PHF )( N )( f p )( f HV )
f HV

1 PT ( ET 1) PR ( E R 1)

Where: fLW = adjustment for lane width,

fLC = adjustment for lateral clearance,
fN = adjustment for number of lanes,
fID = adjustment for interchange density.

vp
S

Step 6. Use table to assess the level

of service associated with previous
density.

Basic Segment Methodology

Weaving Segments

Weaving Area Segments

Background definitions
weaving area (area within on-ramp and off-ramp
separated by less than 2,000 or 2500 ft)
weaving flow (the two flows that cross each other at
weaving areas)
non weaving flows (the two flows that do not cross
other flows)

Lane configuration - weaving

segment

Lane configuration refers to

the manner in which entry and
exit legs are connected to
each other.
Weaving segment
classification
One-sided versus two-sided
weaving segments.
One sided: No weaving
maneuver requires more than
two lane changes and
weaving is restricted to lanes
on one-side of the facility
Two sided: One weaving
maneuver requires three or
more lane changes and uses
lanes on both sides of the
facility.

Ramp weave versus major

weaving areas.
Ramp weave: One lane onramp followed by one-lane
off-ramp and connected by a
continuous auxiliary lane.
Ramp roadways have design
speeds significantly lower
than the main facility.
Major Weave: At least three
of the exit and entry legs have
more than one lane. Entry
and exit legs have design
standards that are close to
those of the main facility.

Weave configuration

Weave configuration

Definitions

Weaving Segment-LOS
Methodology

Short length versus base length

Capacity
Breakdown due to excessive total flows of
43/pc/h/ln
Breakdown due to excessive weaving
flows
2400 pc/h when Nwv = 2 lanes
3500 pc/h when Nwv = 3 lanes

Speed Computation

Weaving Area Speed

Weaving Area Density

Weaving LOS and Capacity

Enter LOS Table using derived Density
Value
Capacity is the flow rate associated with a
density of 43.0 pc/mi/ln for freeways or
40.0 pc/mi/ln for multilane highways.