A Geometric Design of Traffic-Light Roads Crossing Using the Continuous Flow Intersections Methodology to Reduce Points of Primary Conflicts Caused by Left Turns

Abstract

The continuous flow intersections (CFI) increase the operational capacity of road systems with congestion problems, by using shared lanes located at the access points before the intersection. However, the CFI presents road safety risks that increase the likelihood of vehicle collision. This article proposes a geometric design composed of raised delineators at a traffic-light intersection, whose objective is to eliminate the points of primary conflicts caused by the left turns of the vehicles. To do this, a study was conducted to identify the different maneuvers present in a wide cross-type intersection in a commercial area located in the city of Lima. A total of 3219 vehicles was collected, of which 561 vehicles turned left demonstrating the high density of this type of maneuver. The effectiveness of the proposed design is validated using a microsimulation in the Vissim program. The results show that it was reduced from 58 to 8 points of conflict, increasing operational capacity by 34.97%. Finally, the risks caused by CFI decreased by 83%.