Cycle-Length Strategies for a Diverging Diamond Interchange in a Coordinated Arterial

Abstract

The diverging diamond interchange (DDI) is growing in popularity as an interchange treatment, yet there is rather limited guidance available on signal timing practices. One particular area of concern is the coordination of a DDI along with neighboring intersections in an arterial. This study examines three different cycle length strategies for DDI coordination: (1) using the full cycle length of the corridor; (2) using a half-cycle; and (3) using a previously described three-phase scheme intended to manage queues within the DDI. Six different origin-destination (O-D) scenarios are tested in a microsimulation study. Results are presented in terms of the number of stops, movement delays at the DDI, queue lengths, and delay by O-D path. The outcomes show that the half-cycle strategy yielded lower total and average delays yet resulted in more stops along the arterial and higher arterial O-D path delays. The full-cycle option, meanwhile, tended to achieve fewer stops and lower delays for arterial routes but increased total and average delays for other movements. The three-phase strategy often reduced delays and queue lengths for the arterial movements exiting the DDI, but increased these for other movements.