Diverging Diamond Intersection at FM 60 & 2818

32,381 Views | 204 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by halibut sinclair
kraut
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TexAg1987 said:

I was behind someone yesterday who took a right into oncoming traffic at the first light. He finally figured it out (I think) and went between the barrels into the median to get back to the correct side of the road.


BTW, what IS the purpose of such a huge median? Seems like it could have been done without widening the bridge.


They widened the bridge?
JMac03
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kraut said:

TexAg1987 said:

I was behind someone yesterday who took a right into oncoming traffic at the first light. He finally figured it out (I think) and went between the barrels into the median to get back to the correct side of the road.


BTW, what IS the purpose of such a huge median? Seems like it could have been done without widening the bridge.


They widened the bridge?

I was thinking the same thing but didn't want to look stupid by posting and asking.
TexAg1987
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https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/bryan/fm60.html

Quote:

Planned Improvements
  • Convert existing unsignalized at-grade intersections with the FM 2818 ramps into a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) with curbed islands and traffic signals
  • Widen existing bridge over FM 2818 to six travel lanes (three west and three east) with protected pedestrian pathways and bicycle lanes
  • A DDI will provide protected, free right- and left-hand turns, improving capacity through the intersections, reducing delays
  • A DDI will also reduce vehicle, vehicle/bicycle and vehicle/pedestrian conflict points, enhancing safety
  • An adjacent improvement project, FM 2818 (Harvey Mitchell Parkway) Widening, is under development at the same time



I see it is supposed to be three lanes each way plus bicycle and pedestrians
kraut
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TexAg1987 said:

https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/bryan/fm60.html

Quote:

Planned Improvements
  • Convert existing unsignalized at-grade intersections with the FM 2818 ramps into a diverging diamond interchange (DDI) with curbed islands and traffic signals
  • Widen existing bridge over FM 2818 to six travel lanes (three west and three east) with protected pedestrian pathways and bicycle lanes
  • A DDI will provide protected, free right- and left-hand turns, improving capacity through the intersections, reducing delays
  • A DDI will also reduce vehicle, vehicle/bicycle and vehicle/pedestrian conflict points, enhancing safety
  • An adjacent improvement project, FM 2818 (Harvey Mitchell Parkway) Widening, is under development at the same time



I see it is supposed to be three lanes each way plus bicycle and pedestrians
You are right - I was under the impression they weren't widening the existing bridge. I was wrong. Please forgive me.

Here's a really good schematic that does show those medians - they probably look wide because of the curves needed to create the crossing intersections.

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/bry/notices/051916-layouts.pdf
duffelpud
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Quote:

BTW, what IS the purpose of such a huge median? Seems like it could have been done without widening the bridge.

They're for the puppet shows.



/wee britain
"What's this button do?"
TexAg1987
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No offence taken. I started to question it myself. So many projects going on around my paths of travel I could have easily gotten it confused. I think it was the first thing they did when this started.
Tailgate88
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Pedestrian walkway I think. Because you know there is a ton of foot traffic out there.
saltydog13
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Has anyone driving there ever seen a single person walking/on a bicycle?
Okenstradingpost
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It's weird but not bad. Once lights are all done and all other things are gone it will be good I think
redd38
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saltydog13 said:

Has anyone driving there ever seen a single person walking/on a bicycle?


They did a traffic study!
Oogway
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redd38 said:

saltydog13 said:

Has anyone driving there ever seen a single person walking/on a bicycle?


They did a traffic study!


Haven't you all seen Field of Dreams?
Scruffy
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They expect people to park at north gate and walk to see their loved ones interred at the Aggie graveyard on the corner.
75AG
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Drove it again today on my way to Easterwood. Survived.
duffelpud
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I shot some video of some idiot pedestrian there the other day...

"What's this button do?"
Bob2525
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Going to try to see how many U-Turns I can make without stopping.

-Got lost in the Target roundabout, took me 30 minutes to figure out how to get out of it!!!
MyTexasCarGuy
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The u turn will be easiet of all.... no stop, protected... left turn.
TexasAggie_02
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is there any particular reason why the east bound side (coming from snook) is only 1 lane wide, while the west bound side is 2?

I've noticed that during afternoon rush hour, the east bound side gets backed up past turkey creek b/c of the single lane.
techno-ag
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TexasAggie_02 said:

is there any particular reason why the east bound side (coming from snook) is only 1 lane wide, while the west bound side is 2?

I've noticed that during afternoon rush hour, the east bound side gets backed up past turkey creek b/c of the single lane.


Dunno. Maybe TxDoT thinks it's more important to move cars effiently out of the area instead of in.
Buy a man eat fish, he day, teach fish man, to a lifetime.

- Joe Biden

I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris
GSS
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Likely based on the temporary construction setup, using cones and barriers...the desire to move outgoing A&M traffic was more critical than incoming (eastbound).

Another issue I hope they address is the westbound merge onto FM60 (from 2818)...currently WAY to cramped for practical access to 60, along with the traffic using the same lane to exit to Easterwood.
jello123
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This intersection is FAR FROM COMPLETE. Once finished it will be safer and allow much more traffic to pass through than a conventional intersection.
EMY92
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I was in Utah for a driving school several weeks ago. After we finished the track sessions, we left the facility in a convoy heading for the trails. The instructors warned us about the most dangerous intersection in Utah at the intersection just down the road from the Utah Motorsports Complex.

I was expecting a diverging diamond, but no, it was an intersection identical to the one at Texas and Harvey.
JAW3336
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It hasn't made the intersection at 35 and 3405 in round rock more efficient.

All it does is make certain thing less convenient and maybe make them safer.
EBrazosAg
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The end to end length of the intersection is shorter than most diverging diamonds and therefore it will never operate as efficiently as advertised or be able to handle the volume.
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jac4
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EMY92 said:

I was in Utah for a driving school several weeks ago. After we finished the track sessions, we left the facility in a convoy heading for the trails. The instructors warned us about the most dangerous intersection in Utah at the intersection just down the road from the Utah Motorsports Complex.

I was expecting a diverging diamond, but no, it was an intersection identical to the one at Texas and Harvey.


Out of curiosity, did you do one of the Ford driving schools in Utah?
EMY92
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Yes, I did the Raptor Assault driving school. It was a blast.
DBSwooper
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EMY92 said:

I was in Utah for a driving school several weeks ago. After we finished the track sessions, we left the facility in a convoy heading for the trails. The instructors warned us about the most dangerous intersection in Utah at the intersection just down the road from the Utah Motorsports Complex.

I was expecting a diverging diamond, but no, it was an intersection identical to the one at Texas and Harvey.


Has anyone else noticed that the posters who generally are known to be traffic safety experts or collision reconstruction experts have posted only positive things or not posted at all about the "new" divergent diamond design?

Right now some of the most dangerous sections of roads in B/CS in terms of number of collisions and rate of injury would probably surprise many. Most of the motoring public don't have a firm understanding as to the causes of most collisions or what steps could have mitigated injuries or the crash its self because the on the surface reason that they understand may not be the root cause

For instance due to allowed unprotected left turns the 2200 and 2100 block of E. WJB has a very high collision rate, yet the same in the 2100 block of Briarcrest dropped significantly with the addition of raised medians and metered left turn traffic. Yet most of the crashes aren't fail ROW but coded as following to close or fail to control speed on the CR-3 when it was really a 3 car chain of panic stops due to a fail ROWeft turn that didn't actually make contact. As a single example of many in our community.

FlyRod
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I suspect it isn't so much "dangerous sections of roads" as drivers who are unskilled, or simply don't care to observe and follow basic responsible driving.

(Sorry I'm a tad cranky this morning thanks to the idiot with poor time-management skills who ran a red light on University and nearly killed me).
CS78
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HALF of the traffic is stopped at ALL times. Genius!
JAW3336
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EBrazosAg said:

The end to end length of the intersection is shorter than most diverging diamonds and therefore it will never operate as efficiently as advertised or be able to handle the volume.
I was just telling watty that for some reason that intersection is not more efficient and I wasn't sure why. Thanks for confirming. also they don't have the lights set properly to make it the most efficient but I assume they don't care.
Stupe
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S
What????
TexasAggie_02
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there was a wreck yesterday right in the diverging part on the east side. forced the traffic through the intersection down to 1 lane. One old lady had apparently hit another old lady's front driver side fender. Not sure who actually had right away, b/c they were already all standing around with bystanders by the time i came across it.
techno-ag
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TexasAggie_02 said:

there was a wreck yesterday right in the diverging part on the east side. forced the traffic through the intersection down to 1 lane. One old lady had apparently hit another old lady's front driver side fender. Not sure who actually had right away, b/c they were already all standing around with bystanders by the time i came across it.
Unpossible. This is the safest intersection ever in BCS.
Buy a man eat fish, he day, teach fish man, to a lifetime.

- Joe Biden

I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris
techno-ag
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Rain has delayed the DDI, but it's still on track. The road (work) goes on. Highway through the danger zone still being worked on.

https://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Rain-causing-headaches-for-area-road-construction-projects-498453501.html
Buy a man eat fish, he day, teach fish man, to a lifetime.

- Joe Biden

I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.

- Kamala Harris
halibut sinclair
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Gasbandit
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https://soundcloud.com/gas-bandit/traffic-sonata
 
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