Synthesis of Median U-Turn Intersection Treatment, Safety资料.pdf

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SYNTHESIS OF THE MEDIAN U-TURN INTERSECTION TREATMENT, SAFETY,
AND OPERATIONAL BENEFITS

AUTHOR:
Ram Jagannathan
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 700
Vienna, VA 22182
ram@

Prepared: for FHWA

ABSTRACT:
In the United States, congestion at intersections throughout urban and suburban areas
continues to worsen. In addition, crashes reported at intersections have continued to increase.
One potential treatment bat congestion and safety problems at intersections is the Median
U-Turn Intersection Treatment (MUTIT), which has been used extensively in Michigan for many
years and has been essfully implemented in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and Louisiana in
recent years (Figure 1).
The treatment involves the elimination of direct left turns at signal-controlled
intersections from major and/or the minor approaches. Drivers desiring to turn left from the
major road onto an intersecting cross-street need to first travel through the at-grade, signal-
controlled intersection and then execute a U-turn at median opening downstream of the
intersection. These drivers can then turn right at the cross street. For drivers on the side-street
desiring to turn left onto the major road, they must first turn right at the signal-controlled
intersection and then execute a U-turn at the downstream median opening and proceed back
through the signalized intersection. The MUTIT can be implemented with and without signal
control at the median openings on the major road.
This synthesis summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the pared to
conventional, at-grade signal-controlled intersections with left turns permitted from all
approaches. The synthesis presents design guidelines including the location and design of the
median crossovers on the major roads. Many of the guidelines presented in the synthesis are
from the Michigan Department of Transportation, and address directional and