Investigating the safety performance of the new continuous green T-partial cloverleaf A interchange

Abstract

Abstract This study proposes and investigates the safety performance of a new innovative interchange design, called the continuous green T-partial cloverleaf A (CGT-parclo A). The CGT-parclo A was compared with various other conventional and unconventional service interchange designs. To address the objectives of this research, a simulation modeling network was built using VISSIM microsimulation software coupled with Econolite’s external ASC/3 Software-in-the-Loop signal controller. The Federal Highway Administration’s Surrogate Safety Assessment Model was employed to produce results of surrogate safety measures. Moreover, analyses of variance were conducted to examine the statistical significance of the results. The findings indicate that the CGT-parclo A is the best form of parclo A interchanges, with the potential to reduce the likelihood of crashes as well as their frequencies and severities. Specifically, the CGT-parclo A reduced the crossing conflicts, rear-end conflicts, lane change conflicts, and the total number of conflicts by ranges of 6.4% to 43.7%, 4.8% to 19.7%, 1.2% to 30.0%, and 7.6% to 28.1%, respectively.