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PBWN301
Highway Engineering

Lecture 06: Intersection Design

Control and Geometric Design
By Spring 2021
Dr. Eng. Elhashemi Ali Academic Year (2020 –2021)

References
1. AASHTO green book (A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and
Streets, 2018)

2. Egyptian Code for Highway Design

3. Highway Capacity Manual ( HCM )

4. Dr. Dalia Said lectures

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Course LOs
1. Identify and describe the Principles of highway geometric and structural design √

2. Classify highways based on their function √

3. Calculate different sight distances √

4. Identify the affect of sight distance on highway design √

5. Design of horizontal curves √

6. Design of vertical curves √

7. Identify different types of intersections

8. Design of typical at-grade intersections

9. Classify soils and highway materials

10. Design asphalt mix

11. Calculate Equivalent Single Axle Loads

12. Design of Flexible Pavements

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Lecture Outlines

• Introduction to Highway Intersections

1

• Types of Intersections
2

• Types of At Grade Intersection

3

• Design of At Grade Intersection

4

• Sight Distance at Intersections

5

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1. Introduction to Highway Intersections

Intersections

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2. Types of Intersections
Intersections can be classified as:
A. At-grade: all roads intersect at the same level

1. Conventional 2. Roundabouts

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2. Types of Intersections
B. Grade-Separated:
1. Grade-separated without ramps: uninterrupted cross-flow of
traffic at different levels (over or underpass with no access)

Overpass Underpass

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2. Types of Intersections
B. Grade-Separated:
2. Grade-separated with ramps ( freeway interchanges)

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3. Types of At Grade Intersection

Types

T-intersection Four-leg intersection Multi-leg intersection

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3. Types of At Grade Intersection

T-Intersection or Three Leg
Intersection

Example: Two Lane Undivided Street

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3. Types of At Grade Intersection

T-Intersection or Three Leg
Intersection

Example: 4 Lanes Divided Street & Two Lanes Undivided Street

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3. Types of At Grade Intersection

4-Way Intersection or Four-Leg
Intersection

Example: Two streets – 2 lane 2way each

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3. Types of At Grade Intersection

Intersection Control

➢ No control: Vehicles on both roads adjust their speeds to avoid crash

➢ Stop control: Traffic on minor roadway must stop prior to entering major
roadway
➢ Yield control: Vehicles on minor roadway must yield to major roadway traffic
➢ Signal control: Vehicles on all approaches are required to stop by either a stop
sign or traffic signal
➢ All way stop: Stopped major roadway left-turn vehicles – must yield to
oncoming traffic
➢ Grade separation
➢ Interchange
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3. Types of At Grade Intersection

Speed Change Lanes

1- Plain 2- Flared

Divisional Islands

3- Channelized Turning Roadway

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4. Design of At Grade Intersection

1- Plain Intersections

Design element:
A. Turning Roadway (Right Turn Curve):
➢ Depending on design vehicle (P, SU-9, SU-12, WB-12, … etc)
➢ Road turning edges can be:
- Simple curve radius
- Simple curve radius with taper
- 3 Centered Compound Curve
➢ Curve geometry from Table 5.1 Right Turn Curve
V<15km/h
Plain

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4. Design of At Grade Intersection

1- Plain Intersections

Simple curve radius

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4. Design of At Grade Intersection

1- Plain Intersections

Simple curve radius with taper

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4. Design of At Grade Intersection

1- Plain Intersections

3 Centered Compound Curve

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4. Design of At Grade Intersection

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4. Design of At Grade Intersection

2- Flared Intersections

Design element:
A. Turning Roadway (Right Turn Curve):
➢ Depending on design vehicle (P, SU-9, SU-12, WB-12, … etc)
➢ Road turning edges can be:
- Simple curve radius
- Simple curve radius with taper Speed Change
- 3 Centered Compound Curve Lanes
➢ Curve geometry from Table 5.1
B. Speed change lanes
➢ Acceleration lane (Ltaper+ Lacceleration)
➢ Deceleration lane (Ltaper + Ldeceleration)
❑ Ltaper = 0.278 V t
*(assume each 1 m width can be crossed in 1 sec) Right Turn Curve
❑ Lacc, Ldec: Tables 5.5 and 5.6 V<15km/h
Flared

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4. Design of At Grade Intersection

2- Flared Intersections:
Acceleration and Deceleration Lanes

Lacceleration Ldeceleration

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4. Design of At Grade Intersection

3- Channelized Intersections

Design element:
A. Turning Roadway (Right Turn Curve):
➢ Depending on Turning Speed
▪ If Vturning< 15 km/h ------- Then use Table 5.2
▪ If Vturning > 15 km/h ------- Then use Table 5.3 & Width of roadway: Table
5.4

Pocket Lanes Divisional Islands

B. Speed change lanes

➢ Acceleration lane (Ltaper+ Lacceleration)
➢ Deceleration lane (Ltaper + Ldeceleration)
❑ Ltaper = 0.278 V t
*(assume each 1 m width can be crossed in 1 sec) Turning Roadway
❑ Lacc, Ldec: Tables 5.5 and 5.6 Channelized

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4. Design of At Grade Intersection

3- Channelized Intersections:
Turning Roadway based on Turning Speed

V<15kph

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4. Design of At-grade intersection

3- Channelized Intersections:
Turning Roadway based on Turning Speed
V>15kph

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5. Sight Distance at Intersections

Obstruction

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5. Sight Distance at Intersections

Introduction

❑ Purpose
Provide sight distance at intersections to allow drivers to perceive the
presence of potentially conflicting vehicles and traffic control devices
❑ Method
Specified areas along intersection approach legs and corners should be clear
of obstructions
❑ Assumption
Driver’s eye is 1.06 m above the roadway surface, the object to be seen is
of same height (1.06 m)
❑ Factors affecting sight distance
o Physical conditions (traffic control devices, intersecting roads)
o Driver behavior (speeds, perception-reaction time, braking)

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5. Sight Distance at Intersections

Introduction

❑ The required sight distance at an intersection is the length of the crossroad

that must be visible such that the driver (whether turning or crossing the
intersection) can decide to and complete the maneuver without conflicting
with other vehicles that are approaching the intersection on the crossroad
❑ Sight Triangles
These are areas (triangles) that are free of
obstructions. They are necessary to complete
maneuvers and avoid collisions

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5. Sight Distance at Intersections

Intersection Control

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5. Sight Distance at Intersections

Intersection Control

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5. Sight Distance at Intersections

Case I: No Control Intersection

❑ The intersection is not controlled by a yield sign, stop sign, or traffic signal
❑ SD in this case must be enough for the driver approaching the intersection to:
See a crossing vehicle and If necessary, to adjust vehicle speed
❑ This distance includes:
• The distance travelled by the vehicle during the perception-reaction time
(usually 2 s)
• The distance travelled during brake actuation (usually 1 s)
❑ Therefore, the distance travelled during the period of 3 s is the limiting
distance from which a driver approaching the intersection should first
observe an approaching vehicle on the crossroad
❑ Analysis of sight distance on the intersection is usually referred to as sight
distance triangle

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5. Sight Distance at Intersections

Case I: No Control Intersection

❑ Sight distance in this case will allow

drivers to adjust speed but not to stop
before the intersection
❑ A four-leg intersection would have
four sight distance triangles to be
checked
❑ If sight triangles are not sufficient,
control should be provided.

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5. Sight Distance at Intersections

Case I: No Control Intersection

❑ From the similarity of triangles:

𝑑𝑏 𝑎 Vb
=
𝑑𝑎 𝑑𝑎 − 𝑏
where Approach “B”
• a & b = distances from the obstruction to the
centerline of approaches A and B
• Va & Vb = speeds of vehicles on approaches A
db – a

and B
• da, db = distances travelled by vehicles on Obstruction
db

b
approaches A and B during 3-s time period

Approach “A”
a

Va
da – b b
da

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5. Sight Distance at Intersections

Example

❑ Is sufficient intersection sight distance provided? 75 km/h

Given: a = 25 m, b =15 m, da =0.278403=33.36 m
Approach “B”
𝑑𝑏 𝑎
=
𝑑𝑎 𝑑𝑎 − 𝑏
db = 25 (33.36) = 45.42 m

Building
33.36-15 15 m

db
At V=75 km/h: 0.278753=62.55 m >45.42 m b
Not sufficient distance
25 m
Required design speed: 55 km/h

a
40 km/h
Approach “A”

da
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