Are You Ready For Continuous Flow Intersections on Eagle Road?
It doesn't take you long to realize the most traveled road in the Treasure Valley and Idaho is Eagle Road. I'd put the traffic on Eagle Road against any traffic pattern in the country. The Idaho Transportation Department says that over 70,000 cars use State Street and Eagle Road. The Department has announced a revolutionary concept called the Continous Flow Intersection.
What is a Continuous Flow Intersection? According to the IDT Web Site,
A half CFI allows left-turning traffic and through-traffic to move Flat the same time in the east and west direction. Vehicles heading north and south on Eagle Road move into dedicated "right turn bypass" lanes to turn more efficiently. The layout eliminates the need for a dedicated left-turn green phase, which improves the intersection's capacity and reduces delays. The design also includes pedestrian signals and crossings.
The construction will begin this week with the promise of reducing the predictable congestion of that area. Adding to the challenge is that businesses, homes, and other developments continue to build on Eagle Road.
IDT says that Continous Flow Intersections have been used in Utah and other parts of the country for over ten years. The Department reports that some of the work will be done during the day, but most of it will be done during the hours of 10pm-6am.
Why change the big intersection now? IDT says that they've done extensive research that this move will reduce congestion. A detailed study showed that a half CFI will significantly decrease delay times and improve safety at the Eagle Road/ID-44 intersection. The study showed that adding lanes to the existing intersection would not result in the same benefit.
The reaction on the Department's YouTube web site has been critical of the new move. Here are a few comments:
Lukas: So you’re about wrapped up with the freeway and you need something new to do, how about build roads that are sustainable that you need something new to do, how about build roads that are sustainable that you won’t have to “fix” or “modify” in 10 years.
James: Oh man..... I want to have faith in my fellow humans... But ya'll have seen people drive around here, right?
The Native Trout: Any positive comments are that of paid trolls and city planners....this is the most assanine and non-sensical concept I have EVER seen. absolutely stupid. This will lead to more congestion as well as more accidents.....there must be some other motive then what is proposed. The flow of traffic is fine at the intersection now, WHY would you SLOW it down and complicate the scenario?
Want more information? Check out the video below from IDT.
You can leave your comments on by clicking on the link here.
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