Traffic performance and economic impact of unsignalized intersections: a case study of Laoag-Airport-Manila north road junction / Alexis Rafael M. Garcia, Zaireen G. Garvida, Dwight P. Ikitan, Renee Bridgette V. Soriano

UTHESIS (Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering)

Bibliography : leaves 123-130

Urban road intersections are critical nodes in transportation networks, significantly influencing traffic flow and urban mobility. This study examined the traffic performance and economic impact of unsignalized intersections, focusing on the Laoag-Airport-Manila North Road Junction. The study aimed to analyze the current and future operational performance of the intersection and assess the efficiency of various alternatives to improve traffic conditions in terms of technical and economic aspects. The study employed the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) methodology and AIMSUN Next software for microscopic traffic simulation. Data collection included automatic and manual traffic volume counts, geometric surveys, partial signal timing of Traffic enforcers, and driver behavior analysis.
The findings indicate significant delays, at an average of 272.1 sec/veh, and queue lengths at an average of 51.1 vehicles. These unacceptable travel time conditions with prolonged congestion reached an average v/c ratio of 1.8 for each road section, resulting in a LOS F during peak hours. Economic analysis revealed substantial costs associated with fuel consumption and time delays, with an overall annual cost of congestion of PHP 18.5M and PHP 108.5M for present and future traffic conditions, respectively.
Among the evaluated alternatives, the Urban Compact Roundabout emerged as the most effective solution for future conditions, showing substantial reductions in delay times by 34.1%, queue lengths by 38.1%, and throughput by 25.8%. UC roundabout also induced congestion cost savings of almost 60.5%.