Innovative Intersections

Innovative Transportation

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:

Roundabouts

Roundabout information

Continuous Green-T (CGT)

CGT information

Median U-Turn (MUT)

MUT Information

Reduced Conflict U-Turn (RCUT)

RCUT information

Displaced Left-Turn (DLT)

DLT information

Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI)

DDI information

Single-Point Urban Interchange (SPUI)

SPUI Information

Texas Innovative Intersections database

Discover how innovative intersections are enhancing safety and traffic flow across Texas.

Explore the database

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 percent reduction

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

RCUTs enhance safety

63 percent reduction

Reduced Conflict U-Turns (RCUT) reduce fatal and injury crashes by up to 63 percent 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

Educational materials

Fliers

Innovative Intersections Fact Sheets

Public Involvement Best Practices

Additional resources

Have questions about innovative intersections? Please reach out!

innovative.intersections@txdot.gov