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Courses/Engineering/Transportation Engineering

Alternative Intersection Treatments

This course is intended for highway engineers, planners, and decision-makers involved with the planning, design, and operation of high-volume, signalized intersections.

Created byMark Rossow, PhD, PE (retired)
4.5
(36 reviews)
BeginnerUpdated Dec 27, 2024
Alternative Intersection Treatments

What You'll Learn

check_circleUnderstand the limitations of conventional lane addition approaches for addressing intersection congestion.
check_circleLearn about intersection reconfiguration techniques, including skew angle removal, path alignment, and intersection leg modifications.
check_circleExplore alternative left-turn treatments, such as jughandles, median U-turn crossovers, and continuous flow intersections.
check_circleGain knowledge of grade separation treatments, including split intersections and diamond interchanges, to enhance safety and traffic efficiency.

About This Course

This online traffic engineering PDH course describes how congestion-related problems can be solved by using alternative methods—methods that differ from the conventional approach of adding capacity to an intersection simply by adding lanes. The conventional approach has diminishing returns. For instance, while the addition of a second through-lane might extend the life of an intersection by 15 years before it reaches capacity, adding a third through-lane provides only 10 years, and a fourth through-lane extends the life by just 6 years. Large intersections also increase loss time due to longer clearance intervals, protected left turn phasing, longer pedestrian clearance times, greater imbalances in lane utilization, and potential queue blockages caused by longer cycle lengths. Each of these issues highlights the need to explore alternative treatments.

This course describes reconstruction treatments for signalized intersections in three categories: intersection reconfiguration, at-grade indirect movements, and grade separation. Many of these treatments are commonplace, while others have seen limited or regional use. The common element in each treatment is the reduction in conflict points at the intersection, which provides safety and operational benefits by reducing the number of phases and conflicting volume at a single location.

Topics:

  • Reconfiguration: Removal of intersection skew angle
  • Reconfiguration: Removal of deflection in travel path for through vehicles
  • Reconfiguration: Conversion of four-leg intersection to two T-intersections
  • Reconfiguration: Conversion of two T-intersections to four-leg intersection
  • Reconfiguration: Closure of intersection leg
  • Indirect left turn treatment: Jughandle
  • Indirect left turn treatment: Median U-turn crossover
  • Indirect left turn treatment: Continuous flow intersection
  • Indirect left turn treatment: Quadrant roadway intersection
  • Indirect left turn treatment: Super-street median crossover
  • Grade separation treatment: Split intersection
  • Grade separation treatment: Diamond interchange

Your Instructor

Mark Rossow, PhD, PE (retired)
Mark Rossow, PhD, PE (retired)

Civil Engneering faculty member for 27 years

menu_book133 courses
star3,893 reviews

Dr. Rossow is a graduate of the University of Michigan with B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois. He taught civil engineering for over 35 years, including six years at Washington University in St. Louis and 29 years at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he was the Chair of the Civil Engineering Department for ten years. His areas of expertise are in civil engineering and mechanics. He has consulted for various organizations, including government agencies and an international offshore drilling company. He has published numerous technical journal articles and technical reports for a variety of governmental agencies and private sector organizations. Mark P. Rossow, PE, PhD Licensed Professional Engineer in State of Illinois License No. 062.040560 Dr. Rossow is a graduate of the University of Michigan with B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees. He taught civil engineering for over 35 years, including six years at Washington University in St. Louis and 29 years at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he was the Chair of the Civil Engineering Department for ten years. His areas of expertise are in civil engineering and mechanics. He has consulted for various organizations, including government agencies and an international offshore drilling company. He has published many journal articles and technical reports.

Credit Information

Do these courses count toward my professional development requirements?

This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.

If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.

What Students Are Saying

4.5
Student's Choice
36 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

We are a registered provider with 327+ associations and regulatory bodies worldwide. We operate across 29 global markets including Canada, the US, Australia, and the UK. Every course page clearly displays its specific accreditations. Upon completion, you receive a professional certificate that can be validated online. Our certificates include all necessary accreditation details, credit hours, and completion dates, and are formatted specifically to meet the submission requirements of most global regulatory bodies.