Abstract
Providing drivers with open sight distance on entrance ramps can help prevent wrong-way entries at interchange terminals. For partial-cloverleaf (parclo) interchange terminals with close-spaced two-way ramps, appropriate intersection balance and median barrier lengths can provide motorists with a better view of entrance ramps and a better turning radius. A current best intersection balance practice by Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is to locate the stop line at no more than 60% of the way through the intersection. However, this has not been proven for safety benefits. To fill this void, this paper provides a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of stop line positioning based on wrong-way crash data analysis. Effects of different lengths of the median barriers used to separate two-way ramps on left-turn driver sight distances were also investigated by analyzing driver perspectives of roadway information with a three-dimensional (3D) simulation and analytical methodology. Conclusively, the current best practice was proven effective in deterring wrong-way driving, and general guidelines for appropriate median barrier lengths on two-way ramps were developed.
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Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 143 • Issue 6 • June 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 1, 2016
Accepted: Nov 1, 2016
Published online: Feb 22, 2017
Published in print: Jun 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Jul 22, 2017
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