Nebraska LTAP
Date of this Version
6-2019
Document Type
Article
Citation
Sangster,J. and Adams, T. (2019). Restricted Crossings on Rural Highways. NDOT Research Report M077.
Abstract
This study examines the potential for replacing the standard intersection design at two-way stop control (TWSC) and all- way stop control (AWSC) intersections along rural highways with a roundabout or a restricted crossing u-turn (RCUT) facility. The geometry of the RCUT design prohibits left and through movements from the side road, and provides a u-turn location downstream from the main crossing. This type of facility has been implemented for rural highways extensively in both Maryland and North Carolina, as well as in limited cases in many other states such as Minnesota and Missouri, with the potential to serve as a cost-effective solution to improve roadway safety within Nebraska. The primary takeaway from the research is that both a roundabout and an RCUT design can be relied upon to lead to significant safety improvements for unsignalized intersections on rural highways, and that the decision of which one to use should factor in the potential increase in delays to the minor approach at the RCUT design if a high demand volume is anticipated (such as Dakota City), or the consideration of whether it is permissible to interrupt the flow of the major arterial through movement with a roundabout versus leaving it free-flowing with the RCUT.