Operational Comparison of a Continuous Flow Intersection to Conventional Alternatives

Congestion is a chronic problem at many urban intersections, but traditional capacity improvements to at-grade intersections are sometimes not effective solutions when volumes are very high. While grade-separated interchanges are possible alternatives, construction and right-of-way costs can limit their application in urban areas. The continuous flow intersection (CFI) is one strategy that can improve flow versus an at-grade intersection, while not consuming as much right-of-way as a grade separated interchange. This paper discusses an operational analysis that compared a CFI design to at-grade intersection improvements and a single point urban interchange (SPUI) at a congested urban intersection in Norfolk, Virginia. A VISSIM model was created to compare operations under projected 2030 afternoon peak hour volumes for all three alternatives. The results showed that the CFI could produce substantial delay savings versus traditional improvements, although, as expected, the SPUI offered the lowest overall delays. Preliminary cost estimates indicated that the CFI would cost about 10 percent more than the traditional improvement alternative, but could reduce delays at the intersection by as much as 50 percent.

  • Corporate Authors:

    Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)

    Washington, DC  United States 
  • Authors:
    • Fontaine, Michael D
  • Conference:
  • Publication Date: 2009

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: CD-ROM
  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 18p
  • Monograph Title: ITE 2009 Annual Meeting and Exhibit. Compendium of Technical Papers

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01166541
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Aug 27 2010 8:08AM