FM60/FM2818 diverging diamond-what if.....

3,951 Views | 29 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by AgFan1999
GSS
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Current conditions: 30 mph zone, two (actually more) set of traffic lights, no more left turns against oncoming traffic.

What if: before spending several million $$$, TxDOT had---lowered the speed limit to 30 mph, installed lights for the left hand turns, and closed the ramps from 2818 that allowed turning across oncoming traffic (the option to use merge lanes already existed)?

The ONE flow improvement from the DD seems to be after going through one traffic light, you are able to transition to a left-turn lane with no other obstacles...assuming traffic levels allow said transition. If the on-ramps to southbound 2818 become backed up (which until 2022 or so, will happen...), not sure how the DD will be helpful.
91_Aggie
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AG
another what if:
What if all the predictions from the chicken little crowd on this forum came true and hundreds of people were dying daily from this new style of intersection?
trouble
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Take a drive to Round Rock and visit the outlets. Drive through the DD there. It's simply amazing how much traffic can flow through that intersection safely and quickly.
ZoneClubber
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But this one seems too small in length to be efficient, and I don't understand why exiting traffic from 2818 onto 60 has to stop at a light? Why wouldn't they just merge into the lanes?
doubledog
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91_Aggie said:

another what if:
What if all the predictions from the chicken little crowd on this forum came true and hundreds of people were dying daily from this new style of intersection?
I saw a dump truck start to tip on the DD, of course he was not going 30mph or 40mph for that matter.
Aston04
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From Springfield MO, basically the birthplace of DDs in the US. I think you will be pleasantly surprised - they tend to work real well. People figure it out quickly.
redd38
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This one is not working well, anyone that says otherwise is lying to themselves or being intentionally ignorant.
75AG
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How so?
Stupe
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S
I use it regularly and have had no issues.

I don't think the ignorance lies with those of us that don't have problems navigating it.


91_Aggie
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redd38 said:

This one is not working well, anyone that says otherwise is lying to themselves or being intentionally ignorant.
I'll just spout absolutes without any facts.
Stupe
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S
Maybe this will help.

Help
75AG
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75AG
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redd38 said:

This one is not working well, anyone that says otherwise is lying to themselves or being intentionally ignorant.
If you're having difficulties, just don't use it. It's really not that hard.
GSS
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75AG said:

redd38 said:

This one is not working well, anyone that says otherwise is lying to themselves or being intentionally ignorant.
If you're having difficulties, just don't use it. It's really not that hard.

To critique it as "not working well" is not saying one cannot readily navigate the DD.
75AG
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I would argue it is working perfectly well. And I would argue that I am not lying to myself, nor anyone else.
GiveEmHellBill
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redd38 said:

This one is not working well, anyone that says otherwise is lying to themselves or being intentionally ignorant.

Sorry it frightens and confuses you. Perhaps you should take an alternate route?
etmydst
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http://www.texashighwayman.com/alt-intersections.shtml#DDI

A DDI increases the throughput of an intersection by shifting all traffic on the cross street at an interchange over to the left side as it passes through the interchange. Doing so then allows two movements that would normally be conflicting to go at the same time. For example, the traffic from an access road can proceed at the same time that traffic coming on the cross street from its left is also moving. This overlapping eliminates one of the two signal phases required for those movements in a conventional intersection, making the signals much more efficient by allowing more traffic to move through the intersection in the same amount of time.

CS78
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Aston04 said:

People figure it out quickly.
Cant wait for fall semester/ football. Got behind a tourist today that literally stopped in the middle of the northbound 2818 exit because they got to the intersection and couldn't figure out what to do. Froze in place.
duffelpud
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CS78 said:

Aston04 said:

People figure it out quickly.
Cant wait for fall semester/ football. Got behind a tourist today that literally stopped in the middle of the northbound 2818 exit because they got to the intersection and couldn't figure out what to do. Froze in place.

Heading north on 2818 yesterday and exiting to go west on 60 I had a guy ahead of me stay in the middle lane while I merged left onto the ramp from the slip road into the diamond. Middle lane guy got confused and stopped in the middle of the ramp, then cut left into oncoming traffic behind me to get up to the diamond. Fortunately oncoming traffic were not on their cell phones and veered to miss him.

SOME people figure it out quickly.

fify
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AgFan1999
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They've lengthened the lights since they've completed the project.
techno-ag
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From the main thread:

jello123 said:

My prediction... Criss-Cross-Crash.
duffelpud
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techno-ag said:

From the main thread:

jello123 said:

... Criss-Cross-Crash...

I guess I was the "winner" yesterday.
"What's this button do?"
pants
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duffelpud said:

CS78 said:

Aston04 said:

People figure it out quickly.
Cant wait for fall semester/ football. Got behind a tourist today that literally stopped in the middle of the northbound 2818 exit because they got to the intersection and couldn't figure out what to do. Froze in place.

Heading north on 2818 yesterday and exiting to go west on 60 I had a guy ahead of me stay in the middle lane while I merged left onto the ramp from the slip road into the diamond. Middle lane guy got confused and stopped in the middle of the ramp, then cut left into oncoming traffic behind me to get up to the diamond. Fortunately oncoming traffic were not on their cell phones and veered to miss him.

SOME people figure it out quickly.

fify

This illustrates a symptom of the biggest issue with traffic in general, imo. People who mess up and take a wrong turn have the worst habit of panicking and trying so hard to fix their mistake that they forget about the number 1 rule of driving: safety. If you take the wrong ramp, SAFELY correct the issue, even if that means driving a few blocks in the wrong direction or moving to the next exit before turning around.
woodiewood1
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I go though it almost daily and like it, but I tend to not major in the minors on issues. i sometimes have to stop at a light, but somehow I still get to my destination in plenty of time.


woodiewood1
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pants said:

duffelpud said:

CS78 said:

Aston04 said:

People figure it out quickly.
Cant wait for fall semester/ football. Got behind a tourist today that literally stopped in the middle of the northbound 2818 exit because they got to the intersection and couldn't figure out what to do. Froze in place.

Heading north on 2818 yesterday and exiting to go west on 60 I had a guy ahead of me stay in the middle lane while I merged left onto the ramp from the slip road into the diamond. Middle lane guy got confused and stopped in the middle of the ramp, then cut left into oncoming traffic behind me to get up to the diamond. Fortunately oncoming traffic were not on their cell phones and veered to miss him.

SOME people figure it out quickly.

fify

This illustrates a symptom of the biggest issue with traffic in general, imo. People who mess up and take a wrong turn have the worst habit of panicking and trying so hard to fix their mistake that they forget about the number 1 rule of driving: safety. If you take the wrong ramp, SAFELY correct the issue, even if that means driving a few blocks in the wrong direction or moving to the next exit before turning around.
The second symptom of traffic in general is that I would say that half of all drivers drive from 10 to 15 miles per hour more than the posted speed limits and then expect to get through most lights and expect everyone else to drive as fast.
redball
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Does anyone have any idea why 2818 near the new DD is still in "Construction Zone" mode full of barrels and the speed limit is 50 mph? I drive through there multiple times daily and haven't seen any Knife River or other folks working out there for weeks.
ooshwa
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Staff
AG
...and has anyone heard what the future holds for the temporary traffic light controlling northbound 2818 coming on to westbound 60? Will it be removed or replaced with a permanent light?
TexasAggie_02
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heh, i noticed that someone has already run over and knocked down one of the street lights on the new overpass. that didn't take too long.
GSS
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....and has anyone using this intersection at non-peak times noticed what a time and gas wasting experience it is? Sitting at a red light with ZERO oncoming traffic, but the design apparently necessitates random light cycles.
GSS
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The light pole (on eastbound FM60) has been down for a month. Maybe when the temporary light on northbound 2818 exit is updated, the light pole will be repaired.
AgFan1999
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Someone taking the ramp off 2818 onto 60 towards town is going to eventually pull out in front of someone. I've seen countless people just ignore the light there.
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