Examining Traffic Operations at Multi-Legged Intersection Operating under Heterogeneous Traffic: A Case Study in India

Abstract

An intersection is a critical component of any road network, where traffic from different approaches merges and diverges. These merging and diverging traffic movements affect traffic operations and safety significantly. Different traffic management measures and control strategies and necessary geometric improvements are suggested to optimize traffic operations at a given intersection. It is also more prudent to assess the effectiveness of potential strategies towards improvement using simulation at first before certain appropriate strategies/alternatives are finally selected for on-field implementation. Kamrej intersection, a multi-legged junction in Surat, located in the western part of India, is taken as a case study. Traffic data such as traffic volume counts and spot speeds are used to generate and calibrate the present field condition (base model) using PTV-VISSIM software. The calibrated model is then validated using vehicle-class-wise average travel time for each traffic movement (straight and turning) and traffic flow during peak hours. Average delay is used as a measure to assess the effectiveness of selected potential traffic management alternatives. When different demand management scenarios are assessed, it is found that delays for straight and right movements can be reduced substantially, contributing towards improvement in efficiency and traffic operations at selected intersections. The current approach holds promise, thereby contributes to improving traffic operations at selected multi-legged intersections.