Innovative Intersections

Innovative Transportation

Overhead view of a roundabout intersection

What are innovative intersections?

Innovative intersections use non-traditional methods to improve traffic flow at crossroads, leading to enhanced safety, operational performance, and resiliency. As a result, they are becoming more common in Texas and on TxDOT facilities.

The most common types of innovative intersections are:

Roundabout

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Continuous Green-T

Median U-Turn (MUT)

Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT)

Displaced Left-Turn (DLT)

Quadrant Roadway

Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI)

Single-Point Urban Interchange (SPUI)

Texas Innovative Intersections database

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Why is TxDOT embracing innovative intersections?

Enhanced safety

Innovative intersections enhance safety by eliminating, relocating, or modifying conflict points within an intersection.

A conflict point is a location where the paths of two or more road users intersect. Conflict points can be either crossing, merging, or diverging, with crossing conflicts typically resulting in the most significant injuries and fatalities.

By reducing the number of conflict points and the severity of remaining conflicts, innovative intersections significantly decrease the number of serious injury and fatal crashes.

diverging, merging, and crossing conflict points in an intersection

Roundabouts save lives

82% reduction

Roundabouts reduce fatal and injury crashes by up to 82% by reducing the total number of conflict points and eliminating crossing conflicts.

RCUTs enhance safety

63% reduction

Reduced Conflict U-Turns (RCUT) reduce fatal and injury crashes by up to 63% by reducing the total number of crossing conflicts.

Source: FHWA

Operational performance

By reducing conflict points, innovative intersections typically improve operations by allowing traffic to flow more efficiently, improving Level of Service (LOS), travel time, and total vehicle throughput.

Resiliency

Some types of innovative intersections, like roundabouts, do not require power to function. They will continue to operate without needing emergency repair crews or police resources, allowing those crews to focus on other signalized intersections that do require power.

Choosing the right intersection type

To determine the appropriate intersection type for your project, prepare an Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE).

Learn more about ICE

Learn more about innovative intersections

TxDOT’s Design Division is available to support implementation with resources for peer reviews, concept sketches, ICE reviews, training, and more. Contact us to request assistance.

innovative.intersections@txdot.gov

Additional resources