Methods of Dropping Auxiliary Lanes at Freeway Weaving Segments

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-22-2018

Publication Title

Transportation Planning and Technology

Volume

41

Issue

4

First page number:

389

Last page number:

401

Abstract

Auxiliary lanes connecting freeway entrance and exit ramps provide additional space for entering and exiting vehicles to change lanes. The method of dropping auxiliary lanes is critical in the design of freeway auxiliary lanes. This study investigates the performance of different methods of dropping auxiliary lanes. Case studies were conducted at two selected freeway segments with successive entrance or exit ramps in the City of Houston. Traffic simulation analysis results of these two case studies show that additional operational benefits can be achieved by extending an auxiliary lane beyond the freeway weaving segment. The study also found that if the weaving segment is followed by an entrance/exit ramp and this ramp has high traffic volume, it can be less operationally favorable to extend and terminate the auxiliary lane at this entrance/exit ramp location. Instead, dropping the auxiliary lane before this entrance/exit ramp represents a more operationally effective option.

Keywords

Auxiliary lane; Freeway weaving segment; Traffic simulation

Disciplines

Civil and Environmental Engineering | Transportation Engineering

Language

english

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