Innovative new interchange by MODOT

[Lzen]

http://www.inside-lane.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Diverging-Diamond-Springfield-MO1-570x378.jpg (http://www.inside-lane.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Diverging-Diamond-Springfield-MO1.jpg)
Missouri Department of Transportation photo shows the diverging diamond interchange, the first in the U.S., at I-44 and MO 13 in Springfield, Mo.

A new type of interchange could have drivers thinking they’re in the UK if it ever spreads across the States. It has the potential to keep traffic moving more quickly in and out of freeways while reducing left-turn conflicts.
It’s called the diverging diamond.
The principle behind it is to flip the direction of traffic on the surface street before it passes over or under the freeway. Using only two standard signalized intersections, the two travel directions on the surface street cross each other before and after passing through the interchange. It looks like left-hand drive.
While flipped, they allow for unimpeded left turns – there is no longer any oncoming traffic – both onto the freeway entrance and off of the freeway. Once traffic returns to right-hand drive, the other ramps allow unopposed right turns on and off the freeway.

[Lzen]

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[Marco Polo]

Makes sense.

[philfree]

It's kind of wierd driving on the left side of HWY.


PhilFree:arrow:

[Frazod]

Makes sense.

It does, but having driven in Southern Missouri, I can tell you, this is a recipe for disaster. :doh!:

[talastan]

Actually I live about 2 miles from this interchange and the traffic has improved 10 fold IMO. I love it...No more getting stuck behind people trying to make a left onto I-44.

[Lzen]

It's kind of wierd driving on the left side of HWY.


PhilFree:arrow:

Yes, that would feel really strange. But I gotta say that it is very intelligently designed.

According to Don Saiko with MoDOT...“Left-turning cars in traditional interchange designs have intermittent access to the freeway and are more likely to collide with oncoming vehicles, especially when yielding to through traffic,” Saiko said. “The diamond interchange allows left-turning traffic to go through the interchange faster and more safely,” he said.

The design is also financially appealing because it uses existing lane space without requiring new land for additional bridge structure, he said. It cost $3 million to install the design compared with the $10 million for a bridge, which prompted MoDOT officials to try it.

“The interchange has delivered. The number of crashes within the interchange plunged by 60 percent from June to October of 2009 from the same months of 2008,” Saiko said. “And, he said, it has solved the clogging problem in commutes.”

[DMAC]

Yep...works good. They are putting another one at James River Freeway and National, I believe.

[Pants]

That's a beauty. Great job by MODOT.

[Demonpenz]

I have driven it several times it seems ok you just have to watch what you are doing. I remember getting in town and waiting there for 15 minutes. 15 minutes on an already long ass drive is a pain in the ass

[Marco Polo]

It does, but having driven in Southern Missouri, I can tell you, this is a recipe for disaster. :doh!:

I remember when the first double turn lanes were put in at the small town where I grew up in Iowa. Several accidents the first few days; people get used to it after a few times though.

[Ralphy Boy]

It works perfectly. They are putting another one on the south side of town near Cox Hospital at National & James River Freeway.

[Ebolapox]

it works like a charm, or has the few times I've been on it.

[Bugeater]

That's pretty ingenious. When they built the West Dodge Expressway here in Omaha they put in a couple of interchanges like this:

http://i48.tinypic.com/anecfn.jpg

It still requires the two left turn lanes but at least it only uses one set of lights for the entire interchange instead of a separate set on each side of the freeway.

[chefsos]

I like that. Simple and clever.

[Reaper16]

Liberty needs some of these.

[stevieray]

we should also incorporate more roundabouts.

[Papi]

I had to drive there once a week last fall during rush hour. 13 South would normally be backed up for a mile or more at that time on a regular weekday but in my 14 or so trips it was never backed up! Love it.

[damaticous]

Great idea until one drunk or stupid person messes it up.

[damaticous]

we should also incorporate more roundabouts.

I agree. I LOVE aggravating my girlfriend and her daughter by going around those things 5-6 times before I go on.

[chefsos]

we should also incorporate more roundabouts.Yup. We have a couple of them here, unfortunately about half of the people don't know how to work 'em.

[FAX]

Good Lord. Somebody's going to get killed on that thing.

I don't understand it, anyhow. You still have to wait for oncoming traffic to clear before you switch over to the left-hand lanes, right? ... I mean, correct?

In other words, there are people coming at you that have to switch over to their left, too, and it looks like they cross in front of you before you switch over to the left or vice-versa depending on the situation and who started switching to the left first ... right? ... I mean, correct?

I'm telling you, somebody's going to die on that thing. It's going to be a multi-car, fiery crash, too.

FAX

[Bugeater]

Good Lord. Somebody's going to get killed on that thing.

I don't understand it, anyhow. You still have to wait for oncoming traffic to clear before you switch over to the left-hand lanes, right? ... I mean, correct?

In other words, there are people coming at you that have to switch over to their left, too, and it looks like they cross in front of you before you switch over to the left or vice-versa depending on the situation and who started switching to the left first ... right? ... I mean, correct?

I'm telling you, somebody's going to die on that thing. It's going to be a multi-car, fiery crash, too.

FAX
There are traffic lights at each 'intersection' on either side of the bridge.

[BigMeatballDave]

That is cool as fuck. There are quite a few places around here where that would come in handy.
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[BigMeatballDave]

Great idea until one drunk or stupid person messes it up.
A drunk or stupid person will fuck up anything. That has nothing to do with this design.
Posted via Mobile Device

[patteeu]

Awesome idea. Will Kansans be able to figure it out though? :Poke:

[Lzen]

we should also incorporate more roundabouts.

Steve, are you one of those people that hates roundabouts? I don't understand all the fuss over those. I think they are great. However, I will admit that I'm not a big fan of the double lane roundabout.

[mlyonsd]

There's not enough room to put all the 'Think' signs they're going to need.

[DMAC]

I agree. I LOVE aggravating my girlfriend and her daughter by going around those things 5-6 times before I go on.And each time around saying, "Look kids! Big Ben...Parliament...".

[FAX]

There's not enough room to put all the 'Think' signs they're going to need.

Exactly, Mr. mlyonsd. Some elderly couple on a long trip is going to come across this confounding maze of congested wackiness in the middle of the night when the lights are confusing and they're already having trouble with their sense of sight, sense of direction, and sense of humor and either drive head on into a semi truck or go flying right straight off that overpass down onto the freeway below, igniting their gas tank, exploding their car into a million pieces, throwing shrapnel into the other vehicles in the vicinity, killing dozens, and sending dozens more to the hospital for emergency surgery and/or last rites. It's going to be a bloodbath.

FAX

[Lzen]

I agree. I LOVE aggravating my girlfriend and her daughter by going around those things 5-6 times before I go on.

Great idea. I think I will start doing that, too. :D

[Lzen]

Exactly, Mr. mlyonsd. Some elderly couple on a long trip is going to come across this confounding maze of congested wackiness in the middle of the night when the lights are confusing and they're already having trouble with their sense of sight, sense of direction, and sense of humor and either drive head on into a semi truck or go flying right straight off that overpass down onto the freeway below, igniting their gas tank, exploding their car into a million pieces, throwing shrapnel into the other vehicles in the vicinity, killing dozens, and sending dozens more to the hospital for emergency surgery and/or last rites. It's going to be a bloodbath.

FAX

It will probably be that chick that was talking on the phone, driving with her knees, and eating a pastry.

[Saulbadguy]

Steve, are you one of those people that hates roundabouts? I don't understand all the fuss over those. I think they are great. However, I will admit that I'm not a big fan of the double lane roundabout.

Love roundabouts. Much better than a 4 way stop or long light.

[mlyonsd]

Exactly, Mr. mlyonsd. Some elderly couple on a long trip is going to come across this confounding maze of congested wackiness in the middle of the night when the lights are confusing and they're already having trouble with their sense of sight, sense of direction, and sense of humor and either drive head on into a semi truck or go flying right straight off that overpass down onto the freeway below, igniting their gas tank, exploding their car into a million pieces, throwing shrapnel into the other vehicles in the vicinity, killing dozens, and sending dozens more to the hospital for emergency surgery and/or last rites. It's going to be a bloodbath.

FAX

I'm impressed you know what a Think sign is. I thought it was just a SD thing.

Kudo's on the brilliantly written visual. You should consider a writing career in Hollywood.

[FAX]

I agree. I LOVE aggravating my girlfriend and her daughter by going around those things 5-6 times before I go on.

You do that, too? I do that. I can't help it. We have one roundabout in Nashville ... it's over by Music Row. Every time we encounter it, I drive around it about three times. At first, the beautiful and witty Mrs. FAX would get exasperated and pound the dashboard with her fists calling me dirty names and threatening me with all sorts of dire consequences. But now she kind of digs it.

FAX

[FAX]

I'm impressed you know what a Think sign is. I thought it was just a SD thing.

Kudo's on the brilliantly written visual. You should consider a writing career in Hollywood.

Thanks, Mr. mlyonsd. I once attempted to pursue a serious writing career and even submitted an original screen play about an Army Private who volunteered to have his brain surgically removed and replaced by a quart jar filled with croc urine. I called it, "The Amazing Man With The Croc Urine Brain."

Rejected.

FAX

[Demonpenz]

Drunks and old people can't figure out stop signs or red lights.

[Bob Dole]

Good Lord. Somebody's going to get killed on that thing.

I don't understand it, anyhow. You still have to wait for oncoming traffic to clear before you switch over to the left-hand lanes, right? ... I mean, correct?

In other words, there are people coming at you that have to switch over to their left, too, and it looks like they cross in front of you before you switch over to the left or vice-versa depending on the situation and who started switching to the left first ... right? ... I mean, correct?

I'm telling you, somebody's going to die on that thing. It's going to be a multi-car, fiery crash, too.

FAX

http://www.modot.org/springfield/major_projects/Greene/DDI_13-01Med_Prog.wmv

[ArrowheadHawk]

Roundabouts are great except when the idiots inside the round about try to yield. :banghead:

[talastan]

The reason why they put the interchange at that location is two-fold: One the traffic issue and two, if you are too stupid to figure it out we don't want you in our town anyway. :D

[Pitt Gorilla]

Awesome idea. Will Kansans be able to figure it out though? :Poke:No. That's why they will also establish border checkpoints to keep those folks out.

[TrebMaxx]

I have heard that MODOT plans to put one of these intersections at I-70 and Stadium here in CoMo. Hope it helps out the traffic there. I have ceased using I-70 for my daily commute due to the cluster that area is now.

[Pitt Gorilla]

I have heard that MODOT plans to put one of these intersections at I-70 and Stadium here in CoMo. Hope it helps out the traffic there. I have ceased using I-70 for my daily commute due to the cluster that area is now.That used to be horrible on Fridays if you needed to get out of town that way.

[Ralphy Boy]

Good Lord. Somebody's going to get killed on that thing.

I don't understand it, anyhow. You still have to wait for oncoming traffic to clear before you switch over to the left-hand lanes, right? ... I mean, correct?

In other words, there are people coming at you that have to switch over to their left, too, and it looks like they cross in front of you before you switch over to the left or vice-versa depending on the situation and who started switching to the left first ... right? ... I mean, correct?

I'm telling you, somebody's going to die on that thing. It's going to be a multi-car, fiery crash, too.

FAX

They've got something similar in Europe and they've worked well for years. This is just the first one in the US. The way the lanes are angled by the time you get to the light, its basically the equivalent of a standard 90 degree intersection.

Steve, are you one of those people that hates roundabouts? I don't understand all the fuss over those. I think they are great. However, I will admit that I'm not a big fan of the double lane roundabout.

They've got one of those in Branson, that is a pain in the ass. Basically you only want to get in the middle lane if you want to make a u-turn.

You do that, too? I do that. I can't help it. We have one roundabout in Nashville ... it's over by Music Row. Every time we encounter it, I drive around it about three times. At first, the beautiful and witty Mrs. FAX would get exasperated and pound the dashboard with her fists calling me dirty names and threatening me with all sorts of dire consequences. But now she kind of digs it.

FAX

Talk about someone causing an accident. You'd better knock it off Sparky.

The reason why they put the interchange at that location is two-fold: One the traffic issue and two, if you are too stupid to figure it out we don't want you in our town anyway. :D

Well said.

[Bob Dole]

I have heard that MODOT plans to put one of these intersections at I-70 and Stadium here in CoMo. Hope it helps out the traffic there. I have ceased using I-70 for my daily commute due to the cluster that area is now.

http://www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity/major_projects/

[bowener]

Columbia really needs this at the 63 and I-70 interchange. That is a clusterfuck.

[Frazod]

Columbia really needs this at the 63 and I-70 interchange. That is a clusterfuck.

It's a lot better than it used to be.

[bowener]

http://www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity/major_projects/

http://www.modot.mo.gov/central/major_projects/boone.htm

This is CoMo's page. Not much there.

[bowener]

It's a lot better than it used to be.

Yeah, I noticed the lights seem to be at better intervals or something. I guess it could also be that their is less interstate traffic during this time of year possibly... I don't know. Would be nice to have one of these diamond interchanges, though.

[tyler360]

This is truly been amazing for that intersection. I go to college in springfield and when i go home i go through that intersection. It was weird the first time or two but it has helped so much.

[Frazod]

Yeah, I noticed the lights seem to be at better intervals or something. I guess it could also be that their is less interstate traffic during this time of year possibly... I don't know. Would be nice to have one of these diamond interchanges, though.

I'm old enough to remember when 63 just ran through the middle of Columbia. That really sucked.