INTERSECTION

DESIGN

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 Raised areas constructed within the roadway to establish
physical channels through which the vehicular traffic may be
guided.

 Within an intersection area, a median or an outer separation is

considered to be an island.

 Traffic islands include all areas created for separating and

directing vehicular traffic.

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Based on function ,islands are classified as

 Channelizing Islands

 Divisional Islands

 Pedestrian Loading Islands

 Rotary Islands

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 For guiding traffic into proper channel at
intersection.
 Designed to control and direct traffic movement,
usually turning.

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 Installed in areas to bring about an orderly flow of traffic.
 Serve as location for other traffic control devices, refuge islands
for pedestrians.
 Channelization is particularly helpful at streets intersecting at
oblique angles, at 3-leg junctions, and at multileg intersections.
 Traffic channelizing islands may be provided for separation (and
special control) of turning movements.
 Size & shape of island depends upon layout and dimensions of
intersection.

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 Designed to separate opposing flow of
traffic streams.
 Eliminate head-on collision.

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 Divisional islands are used to guide traffic around an
obstruction within the roadway in advance of an
intersection to separate opposing traffic .

 Located to prevent overtaking and passing at hazardous

points, such as sharp curves or narrow underpasses.

 Width of islands should be large to prevent headlight

glare.

 It should be high to prevent vehicles from entering into

islands.

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 Where divisional islands are continuous, they
are called medians; the more important
functions are as follows:

 1. Medians provide an insulating area between opposing

streams of moving traffic.
 2. Medians provide protection and control of cross and
turning traffic.
 3. Medians provide a refuge for pedestrians.

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 Pedestrian islands are provided to serve as safety
zones for the aid and protection of persons on
foot.
 If a divisional island is located in an urban area
where pedestrians are present, portions of each
island can be considered a refuge island.

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 Pedestrian islands are provided to serve as
safety zones for the aid and protection of
persons on foot.
 Refuge islands are particularly useful at
intersections in urban areas where
› There is a considerable amount of pedestrian traffic
› Where heavy volumes of vehicular traffic make it
difficult and dangerous for pedestrians to cross

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 Large central island of a rotary intersection
 Much larger than the central island of
channelized intersection
 Crossing manoeuvre is converted to weaving by
providing sufficient weaving length

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 Traffic characteristics at the intersection

 Cost considerations, and

 Maintenance needs

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 INTERSECTION-General area where two
or more highways join or cross
 Intersection Leg- roadway radiating from an
intersection
 Two types

› INTERSECTION AT GRADE
› GRADE SEPARATE
INTERSECTION

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 An intersection where all roadways join or
cross at the same level.
 Allowing traffic manoeuvres like merging,
crossing, and weaving
 Classified as:

 UNCHANNELIZED
 CHANNELIZED
 ROTARY INTERSECTIONS

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 T intersection

 Cross

 Staggered

 Skewed
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 Skewed cross

 Skewed staggered

 Wye

 Multiple

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 Channelized intersection is achieved by introducing
islands into intersection area thus reducing total conflict
area .
 Direction of traffic flow at intersections to definite paths
by means of traffic markings, islands or other means
 Islands helps to channelize turning traffic, control speed
and angle of approach and to decrease conflict area at
intersection.
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 Separation of conflicts
 Control of angle of conflict
 Control of speed
 Protection of traffic for vehicles leaving or
crossing the main traffic stream
 Protection of pedestrians
 Elimination of excessive intersectional areas
 Blockage of prohibited movements
 Location of traffic control devices
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 Many different shapes and sizes guided by
geometry of intersection
 Sufficiently large to command attention
 5 m2 or preferably 7 m2 – minimum
 Elongated or divisional islands – Introduced on
undivided highways to alert drivers and regulate
traffic through the intersections should be atleast
1.2 m wide and 3.5 to 6 m long
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 Specialised form of at-grade intersection laid out
for movement of traffic in one direction round a
central island
 Major conflicts at an intersection - collision
between through and right-turn movements
 Vehicles from converging area are forced to move
around central island in clockwise direction in an
orderly manner and weave out of the rotary into
their desired directions.

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 ADVANTAGES ..
 Orderly traffic flow
 Traffic proceeds simultaneously and continuously at fairly uniform,
though low speed
 Frequent stopping and starting are avoided
 Weaving movements replace the usual angular crossing of typical
at-grade intersection
 Direct conflict is eliminated, all traffic streams merging off leaving
at small angles
 Reduce accidents and their severity .

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 Traffic flow is regulated to only one direction of
movement, thus eliminating severe conflicts
between crossing movements.
 All the vehicles entering the rotary are gently
forced to reduce the speed and continue to move at
slower speed.
 None of the vehicles need to be stopped, unlike in
a signalized intersection.
 Rotaries are self governing and do not need
practically any control by police or traffic signals.
 Ideally suited for moderate traffic, especially with
irregular geometry, or intersections with more than
three or four approaches.
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 On high speed roads, rotaries require extremely large size
 When provided at close intervals, they make travel
troublesome
 Traffic turning right has to travel a little extra distance
 As the flow increases and reaches the capacity, weaving
generally gives way to a stop and go motion as vehicles force
their way into the rotary, being followed by vehicle waiting in
the queue behind them.
 High traffic and pedestrians makes rotary operation complex.
 When pedestrian traffic is large, a rotary by itself is not
sufficient to control traffic and has to be supplemented by
traffic police
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 ROTARY
DESIGN
ELEMENTS

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 All the vehicles are required to reduce their speed at a rotary.
 Therefore, the design speed of a rotary will be much lower
than the roads leading to it.
 Although it is possible to design roundabout without much
speed reduction, the geometry may lead to very large size
incurring huge cost of construction.
 Design speed n rural area is 40 kmph and in urban area is 30
kmph.

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 Shape depends on number and layout of intersecting roads.
 Various shapes are
› Circular-when two equally important roads cross at
right angles
› Elongated- accommodate four or more intersecting
roads and to allow greater traffic flow.
› Turbine- forces reduction of speeds of vehicles
entering and speeding up of vehicles going out.
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 Radius at the entry depends on various factors like
design speed, super-elevation, and coefficient of friction.
 Entry to the rotary is not straight, but a small curvature is
introduced.
 This will force the driver to reduce the speed (design
speed of rotary)
 Entry radius of about 15-20m for urban area and 20-
35m for rural design.
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 Exit radius should be higher than the entry radius and
the radius of the rotary island so that the vehicles will
discharge from the rotary at a higher speed.
 A general practice is to keep the exit radius as 1.5 to 2
times the entry radius.
Exit radius=1.5 to 2 (entry radius)
 However, if pedestrian movement is higher at the exit
approach, then the exit radius could be set as same as that
of the entry radius.
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 Governed by the design speed, and the radius of the
entry curve.
 Radius of the central island, is slightly higher than
that of entry radius
 Radius of the central island is about 1.33 times
that of the entry curve.
Radius of the central island= 1.33 (entry
curve)
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 Entry width and exit width of the rotary is governed
by the traffic entering and leaving the intersection and
the width of the approaching road.
 Width of the carriageway at entry and exit will be
lower than the width of the carriageway at the
approaches to enable reduction of speed.
 Minimum width at entry & exit should be 5m.
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 Determines how smoothly the traffic can merge
and diverge.
 Decided based on many factors such as
 Weaving width,
 Average width of entry
 Traffic.
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 Vehicles leaving rotary should accelerate the
speed. Hence exit radius should be of large
radius.
 Normal pavement width at entrance and exit
should be equivalent to two lanes.
 Extra -widening is provided at both entry and exit
curve
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 Channelizing Islands are provided at both

entrance & exit

 Size and shape of islands depends upon radius of

rotary and radius of entry and exit curves

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 Sight distance in the rotary should be as large as

possible.

 Minimum sight distance should be 45 m for

design speed of 40kmph and 30m for 30

kmph.
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 Highest form of intersection treatment

 Causes least delay and hazard to the crossing traffic

 Grade separation may be either by an over bridge

or underpass

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 When major highway is taken above by raising its profile
above general ground by embankment and an over bridge
across another highway.
ADVANTAGES
 Reduce drainage problems
 Aesthetic preference to main traffic
 Less feeling of restriction compared to underpass
 Future construction or expansion of separate bridge structure
for divided highway is possible.

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DISADVANTAGES

 In rolling terrain if major road is taken above

the vertical profile also changes.
 Increased grade resistance may cause speed
reduction on heavy vehicles
 Restrictions to sight distance may occur.

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 UNDERPASS

 Highway is taken by depressing it below ground

level .
 Choice of an overpass or underpass depends on
topography, vertical alignment, drainage,
economy, aesthetics etc.

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ADVANTAGES

 Provide warning to traffic in advance due to presence

of underpass which can be seen from distance.
 When major highway is taken below ,advantage to
turning traffic because traffic from cross road can
accelerate while descending the ramp to major
highway.
 Traffic from major highway can decelerate while
ascending the ramp to cross roads.
 Main advantage , when main highway is along
existing grade without alteration of vertical alignment
and cross road is depressed.

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DISADVANTAGES

 Drainage problems during rainy season when

underpass is depressed upto 5-7m below ground
level.
› Necessary to pump water continuously.
 Overhead structure may restrict sight distance
 Feeling of restriction to traffic .

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