North Carolina’s First Quadrant Left: History and Lessons Learned

North Carolina’s first Quadrant Left roadway project was recently constructed in Huntersville, a suburb of Charlotte. This paper will outline the history of this innovative intersection design in North Carolina, describe the benefits of quadrant roadways, and explain the history of the subject Quadrant Left intersection. The subject Quadrant Left intersection was previously a complex all-movement signal causing significant delays and backups onto a nearby congested Interstate. There were significant public and media concerns with the proposed design including concerns with access to area businesses, navigation, and introduction of additional traffic signals. This Quadrant Left was designed and constructed due to successful capacity analysis and design, input from other Quadrant Left projects in the United States, and perseverance of project stakeholders. Initial observations included concerns with compliance and improper navigation, however these issues were controlled with additional signing and pavement markings, improved access control, and improved motorist familiarity with the design. After two years of operation, the Quadrant Left project has successfully met its expected goals based on operational capacity analysis and safety analysis after construction. Continuous public outreach and education, greater motorist familiarity, and improved national designs were deemed essential throughout project development. This case study may be used as a template for other potential Quadrant Left projects in the United States.

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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHB65 Operational Effects of Geometrics.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Reese, Michael P
  • Carroll, Justin T
  • Epperson, Sean M
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 94th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2015-1-11 to 2015-1-15
• Date: 2015

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 15p
• Monograph Title: TRB 94th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Case studies; Evaluation; Highway capacity; Highway design; Intersections; Plan implementation; Travel time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Quadrant roadway intersections
• Geographic Terms: North Carolina
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01557784
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 15-2138
• Files: PRP, TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 25 2015 4:20PM