Operational Performance Evaluation of the Median U-turn Intersection
Abdel-wahed, T., El Esawey, M., Fayez, M. (2025). Operational Performance Evaluation of the Median U-turn Intersection. EKB Journal Management System, 5(1), 82-92. doi: 10.21608/sej.2024.326251.1067
Talaat Abdel-wahed; Mohamed El Esawey; Mohamed Ahmed Fayez. "Operational Performance Evaluation of the Median U-turn Intersection". EKB Journal Management System, 5, 1, 2025, 82-92. doi: 10.21608/sej.2024.326251.1067
Abdel-wahed, T., El Esawey, M., Fayez, M. (2025). 'Operational Performance Evaluation of the Median U-turn Intersection', EKB Journal Management System, 5(1), pp. 82-92. doi: 10.21608/sej.2024.326251.1067
Abdel-wahed, T., El Esawey, M., Fayez, M. Operational Performance Evaluation of the Median U-turn Intersection. EKB Journal Management System, 2025; 5(1): 82-92. doi: 10.21608/sej.2024.326251.1067

Operational Performance Evaluation of the Median U-turn Intersection

Sohag Engineering Journal
Volume 5, Issue 1, March 2025, Page 82-92  XML PDF (314.83 K)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.21608/sej.2024.326251.1067
View on SCiNiTO View on SCiNiTO
Authors
Talaat Abdel-wahed email orcid 1; Mohamed El Esaweyorcid 2; Mohamed Ahmed Fayez3
1Highway and Traffic Engineering , Civil Engineering, Sohag University
2Highway and Traffic Engineering , Civil Engineering , Ain Shams University
3Avic Company, Kuwait
Abstract
In Egypt, recently, unconventional intersections have gained popularity among policymakers where conventional countermeasures that exemplify increasing cycle length, actuated signals, and signal coordination systems did not have the ability to overcome the operational problems of traffic congestion. The most important of these intersections is the intersection of the median U-turn (MUT). This research evaluated and investigated the operational performance of the MUT in urban areas under balanced/unbalanced volume scenarios. SYNCHRO was used to optimize the signal cycle length, which were extracted from SYNCHRO and used as input in PTV VISSIM (student version). The average vehicle delay and overall capacity for intersection was used as measures of effectiveness in comparison between the MUT and the conventional counterpart. The MUT intersection had the lowest average delay under balanced and unbalanced volume conditions in all scenarios. The conventional intersection had the lowest capacity, around 950 vehicles per hour/ approach, while the MUT had the highest capacity, around 1650 vehicles per hour/ approach.  Compared to this value, the capacity of the MUT is 57% higher than conventional intersection. Finally, the distance between the main and second intersections was investigated of the MUT under balanced volumes. The distance of 300 meters between the main intersection and crossover U-turn was the best in cases of heavy traffic volumes that were close to the capacity of the intersection. Also, the distance of 200 m was well in cases of moderate traffic volumes, while the distance of 100 m had the highest delay for all levels of volumes.
Keywords
Unconventional intersections; micro-simulations; operational performance; geometric design of intersections; Medium U-turn
References
  1. Abdel-Wahed, Talaat, Naglaa K. Rashwan, and Ayman E. Maurice. "The physical properties of bitumen modified with ilmenite and bentonite nanoparticles." HBRC Journal 16.1 (2020): 335-350.
  2. Badry, M. M., Dulaimi, A., Shanbara, H. K., Al-Busaltan, S., & Abdel-Wahed, T. (2021, March). Effect of Polymer on the Properties of Bitumen and Pavement Layers, Case Study: Expressway No. 1, Republic of Iraq. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 1090, No. 1, p. 012032). IOP Publishing.
  3. Abdel-wahed, T., Younes, H., Othman, A., & El-Assaal, A. (2020). Evaluation of recycled asphalt mixture technically and economically. JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 48(3), 360-370.
  4. Abdel-Wahed, T., Abdel-Raheem, A., & Moussa, G. (2022). Performance Evaluation of Asphalt Mixtures Modified with Nanomaterials. MEJ-Mansoura Engineering Journal, 47(1), 1-15.
  5. Mandor, A., Hashim, I., El-Dessoky, I., & Abdel-Wahed, T. (2022). Calibration and Validation of Microsimulation Models for Estimating Control Delay at Signalized Intersections in Upper Egypt, Sohag city as case study. Sohag Engineering Journal, 2(2), 106-119.
  6. Hashim, I. H., Abdel-Wahed, T. A., & Mandor, A. M. (2017). Measuring control delay at signalized intersections: case study from Sohag, Egypt. Int. J. Adv. Res. Sci. Eng, 5.
  7. Reid, J. D., & Hummer, J. E. (1999). Analyzing system travel time in arterial corridors with unconventional designs using microscopic simulation. Transportation Research Record, 1678(1), 208-215.
  8. Abdelrahman, A., Abdel-Aty, M., Lee, J., & Yue, L. (2020). Evaluation of displaced left-turn intersections. Transportation Engineering, 1, 100006.
  9. Al-Omari, M. E. M. A., & Abdel-Aty, M. (2021). Evaluation of a New Intersection Design, “Shifting Movements”. Transportation Research Record, 2675(10), 1352-1363.
  10. Guo, R., Liu, J., & Qi, Y. (2021). An innovative signal timing strategy for implementing contraflow left-turn lanes at signalized intersections with split phasing. Sustainability, 13(11), 6307.
  11. Song, Y., Chitturi, M. V., Bremer, W. F., Bill, A. R., & Noyce, D. A. (2022). Review of United States research and guidelines on left turn lane offset: Unsignalized intersections and signalized intersections with permitted left turns. Journal of traffic and transportation engineering (English edition), 9(4), 556-570.
  12. Chen, K., Zhao, J., Knoop, V. L., & Gao, X. (2020). Robust signal control of exit lanes for left-turn intersections with the consideration of traffic fluctuation. IEEE Access, 8, 42071-42081.
  13. Hughes, W., Jagannathan, R., Sengupta, D., & Hummer, J. (2010). Alternative intersections/interchanges: informational report (AIIR) (No. FHWA-HRT-09-060). United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Research, Development, and Technology.
  14. El Esawey, M., & Sayed, T. (2011). Operational performance analysis of the unconventional median U-turn intersection design. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 38(11), 1249-1261.
  15. Naghawi, H., AlSoud, A., & AlHadidi, T. (2018). The possibility for implementing the superstreet unconventional intersection design in Jordan. Periodica Polytechnica Transportation Engineering, 46(3), 122-128.
  16. Abo-Bakr, S., Esawey, M. E., & Osama, A. (2022). Operational and safety performance evaluation of parallel flow intersection. Transportation research record, 2676(6), 61-74.
  17. El Esawey, M. and Sayed, T. (2007). Comparison of two unconventional intersection schemes: crossover displaced left-turn and upstream signalized crossover intersections. Transportation Research Record, 2023(1), 10-19.
  18. Dorothy, P. W., Maleck, T. L., & Nolf, S. E. (1997). Operational aspects of Michigan design for divided highways. Transportation Research Record, 1579(1), 18-26.
  19. Hummer, J. E. (1998). Unconventional left-turn alternatives for urban and suburban arterials—Part two. ITE journal, 68(11), 101-106.
  20. Bared, J. G., & Kaisar, E. I. (2002). Median U-turn design as an alternative treatment for left turns at signalized intersections.
  21. Hashim, I. H., Ragab, M., & Asar, G. M. (2017). Evaluation Of Operational and Environmental Performance of Median U-Turn Design Using Microsimulation. International Journal for Traffic & Transport Engineering, 7(1).
  22. Elrawy Shahdah, U., Elshabrawy, M., Elbadawy, S., Gabr, A., & Azam, A. (2015). Comparing the Performance of Unconventional Median U-turn Intersections and Signalized Intersections: A Simulation Study. MEJ-Mansoura Engineering Journal, 40(6), 100-108.
  23. Carter, D., Hummer, J. E., Foyle, R. S., & Phillips, S. (2005). Operational and safety effects of U-turns at signalized intersections. Transportation Research Record, 1912(1), 11-18.
  24. Taha, M., & Abdelfatah, A. (2017). Impact of using indirect left-turns on signalized intersections’ performance. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 44(6), 462-471.
  25. DEROV, N. L. (2002). Submitted to Graduate Engineering and Research School of Engineering (Doctoral dissertation, UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON).
  26. Autey, J., Sayed, T., & El Esawey, M. (2013). Operational performance comparison of four unconventional intersection designs using micro‐simulation. Journal of Advanced Transportation, 47(5), 536-552.
  27. El Esawey, M., & Sayed, T. (2013). Analysis of unconventional arterial intersection designs (UAIDs): state-of-the-art methodologies and future research directions. Transportmetrica A: Transport Science, 9(10), 860-895.
  28. AG, P. T. V. (2011). Vissim 5.40-01 user manual. Germany: PTV.
  29. Transportation Research Board; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2022). Highway Capacity Manual 7th Edition: A Guide for Multimodal Mobility Analysis. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. ISBN978-0-309-27562-0.
Statistics
Article View: 892
PDF Download: 194