The Fly-Over: A View From Both Sides

An examination of European and U.S. information available of fly-overs shows that they are not low-cost permanent solutions for congestion and safety problems at urban and rural intersections. Their main advantage is that they can be installed in less than 10 days and can be reused several times at different locations. Their main disadvantage is that they are often not esthetically pleasing, particularly in an urban environment where there is limited right-of-way. Some fly-overs being marketed today are constructed of weathering steel to reduce maintenance costs and can be used in a variety of geometric configurations to accommodate approach ramps, curves multi-level bridges, and different width lanes. Intersection accidents can be reduced by fly-overs if proper attention is given the structure's end treatment and good advance signing and roadway markings are used.