Case study | Transportation Engineering
SmartSensor Advance/Wavetronix System Signal Upgrades
Details
Owner
Missouri Department of Transportation
Client
Missouri Department of Transportation
Project Cost
$500,000
Status
Completed 2015
Summary
Kaskaskia Engineering Group, LLC (KEG) provided engineering design services for upgrades to 23 signalized intersections in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, and Franklin County, Missouri for the Missouri Department of Transportation. The intersections are located along major roadways and many do not have advanced inductive loop detectors installed that monitor the intersection dilemma zones. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) defines advanced dilemma-zone detection systems as systems that enhance the safety at signalized intersections by modifying the traffic control signal timing to reduce the number of drivers that may have difficulty deciding whether to stop or proceed through the intersection during a yellow signal phase.
Project
Advance dilemma-zone protection may reduce rear-end crashes associated with unsafe stopping and angle crashes due to illegally continuing into the intersection during the red phase. In addition to an increased safety risk, unnecessarily extended green times can create inefficient signal operation, which reduces the operational capacity of the signalized intersection.
The purpose of this project is to reduce the risk of intersection crashes, as well as to increase intersection operational capacity by the installation of continuous tracking advance detector systems at the signalized intersections. This innovative project is only the second project for which the St. Louis District has utilized the Wavetronix system.
KEG prepared the memorandum for proprietary use of the Wavetronix system. The proprietary use memorandum was reviewed and approved by MoDOT. KEG’s engineers also prepared the preliminary design report, which detailed the installation and operation of the advanced detector systems.
The preliminary design report was submitted to MoDOT in March 2014 and was approved in April 2014. KEG also oversaw and managed the development of the engineering plans and job special provisions for the installation of the advanced detector systems for the 23 signalized intersections. The project was let in a June 2014 MoDOT letting and construction of the improvements began in 2015.
