Use of Roundabouts and Innovative Intersection Designs at High-Speed Intersections in Texas

Rural high-speed roads continue to see increased volumes statewide. Traditionally, those roads might be converted to limited-access highways under the speeds and volumes seen today, but that level of systematic conversion is not feasible. As a result, there are numerous at-grade access points on rural high-speed roads that introduce potential operational delays and safety concerns. Traditional at-grade intersections may not efficiently accommodate the demands increasingly found in many locations across Texas, particularly with increases in oversize/overweight (OS/OW) vehicle volumes in some areas. Newer alternatives, such as modern roundabouts and innovative intersection designs, may be more suitable to improve safety and operations at many locations; however, guidance is needed to identify suitable alternatives and develop appropriate design details for specific intersections. Researchers will investigate the operational and safety benefits of modern roundabouts and selected innovative intersection designs for high-speed locations, as well as best practices for designing these intersection alternatives. In this project, Researchers will compile proven results from these designs in other states and collect and analyze operational and safety data within Texas to develop design guidance that TxDOT can use to implement roundabout designs that accommodate OS/OW vehicles and innovative intersections that provide appropriate access in rural areas.

• Record URL:
  https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/Presto/project=7036

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $499969
• Contract Numbers:

  0-7036

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Texas Department of Transportation

  11th and Brazos Streets
  Austin, TX  United States  78701
• Managing Organizations:

  Texas Department of Transportation

  11th and Brazos Streets
  Austin, TX  United States  78701
• Project Managers:

  Odell, Wade

• Performing Organizations:

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute, College Station

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135
• Principal Investigators:

  Brewer, Marcus

• Start Date: 20190806
• Expected Completion Date: 20220731
• Actual Completion Date: 20220731

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway design; Highway safety; Oversize loads; Overweight loads; Roundabouts; Rural highways; Speed; Trucks
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01715939
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Texas Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: 0-7036
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Sep 9 2019 4:17PM