Intersections & Interchanges

Intersections Types & Definition

Grade-separated without ramps
Interchanges (grade separated with ramps)
At-grade
Intersection: Two or more streets join or cross at-grade.
The intersection includes the areas needed for all modes
of travel: pedestrian, bicycle, motor vehicle, and transit.
At-grade intersections
All highways have intersections at grade except
freeways, so that the intersection area is a part of every
connecting road or street.
In this area, crossing and turning movements occur.
Some intersection are channelized
minimize traffic accidents, speed control, prevention of
prohibited turns, refuge may be provided for
pedestrians.
At-grade Intersections Types

Unchannelized T

Unchannelized Y

Flared T
 3-leg intersections
Y with turning roadways

Unchannelized

Channelized
At-grade Intersections Types (Cont.)
Traffic circles
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
 Yieldcontrol at each approach
 Separation of conflicting movements
 Speed < 30 mph (typically)
Intersection: Key Elements
 Basic Principles
 Safety and efficiency Merging

 Consider both vehicles and pedestrians

 Minimize severity of potential conflicts Diverging

 In general, these conflicts may be classified as:

 Merging conflicts
 Occurs when vehicles enter a traffic stream
 Diverging conflicts Weaving

 Occurs when vehicles leave the traffic stream

 Weaving conflicts
 Occurs by merging then diverging
Crossing
 Crossing conflicts
 Occurs when they cross paths directly
Crossing Conflicts Solutions
Time-sharing
Space-sharing
Grade separation
(Interchanges)
INTERCHANGES
Are classified according to the way they handle left-
turning traffic.

INTERCHANGE CONFIGURATION
- are selected on the basis of structural cost, right-of-way
costs, and ability to serve traffic.
Diamond Interchange
Diamond Interchange
 Diamond Interchange
 Employ diamond ramps
which connect to the cross
road by means of an at
grade intersection.
 Left turns are
accomplished by having
vehicles turn left across
traffic on the cross road.
Cloverleaf Interchange
 Cloverleaf Interchange
 Employ loop ramps, in
which vehicles turn left
by turning 270 degrees
to the right.
Partial cloverleaf
 Partial Cloverleaf Interchange
 Involves various combinations of diamond and loop
ramps.
Trumpet
 Trumpet Interchange
Adequate Sight Distance – ISD
 Allow drivers to have an unobstructed view of
intersection
Definition: Required ISD is the length of cross
road that must be visible such that the driver of a
turning/crossing vehicle can decide to and
complete the maneuver without conflict with
vehicles approaching the intersection on the cross
road.

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Adequate Sight Distance – ISD
 Sight Triangle – area free of obstructions
necessary to complete maneuver and avoid
collision – needed for approach and departure
 Allows driver to anticipate and avoid collisions
 Allows drivers of stopped vehicles enough view of
the intersection to decide when to enter

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Sight Triangle
 area free of obstructions necessary to complete
maneuver and avoid collision – needed for approach
and departure (from stop sign for example)
 Consider horizontal as well as vertical, object below
driver eye height may not be an obstruction
 AASHTO assumes 3.5’ above roadway

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Sight Distance Obstruction
Hidden Vehicle

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ISD Cases
No control: vehicles adjust speed
Stop control: where traffic on minor roadway must
stop prior to entering major roadway
Yield control: vehicles on minor roadway must
yield to major roadway traffic
Signal control: where vehicles on all approaches
are required to stop by either a stop sign or traffic
signal
All way stop
Stopped major roadway left-turn vehicles – must
yield to oncoming traffic
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Case A– No Control
Prefer appropriate SSD on both approaches
(minimum)
Provided on lightly traveled roadways
Provide control if sight triangle not available
Assumes vehicle on the left yields to vehicle on the
right if they arrive at same time

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Critical speed is set to stopping distance db = a __da__
da - b 27
Example
Large
Tree 25 mph
72’

47’

45 mph

Is sufficient stopping sight

distance provided?

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 Example
Large 25 mph
Tree
b = 72’
db

a = 47’

50 mph da

db = a __da__
da - b

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 Example
Large 25 mph
Tree
b = 72’
db

a = 47’

45 mph
da

da = 220 feet (Calculated from

SSD Equations)
db = a __da__ = 47’ (220’) = 69.9’
da – b 220’ – 72’ 30
 Example
Large 25 mph
Tree
b = 72’
db

a = 47’

45 mph da

25 mph > 15 mph, stopping sight

distance is not sufficient for
25 mph
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