THESIS ABSTRACT

Abstract

Prithivi Chowk and Sabhagriha intersections are at-grade urban intersections separated by only 160m. Prithivi Chowk is the starting chainage of two national highway the Prithivi highway and Siddhartha Highway. Due to poor traffic management in the area, spillback of queues from one intersection to another during peak hours has been a significant issue, affecting both the intersections and the connecting roads. Traffic videography survey and field measurement were done for data collection. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the traffic operational performance of the selected intersections and recommend the best alternative measures to improve their performance using the micro-analytical tool, SIDRA Intersection 8 Plus. Base model calibration and validation were done. The study primarily focused on three possible signal timing options to enhance traffic flow: determining the optimum cycle length for each intersection, implementing a coordinated system with a Common Control Group (CCG) at the optimum cycle length and providing foot overbridges for selected approaches under both non- coordinated and coordinated conditions. The coordinated system with a CCG was identified as the most effective alternative among all the options. In the base year 2024, it was found that the total vehicular delay in the network decreased from 184.22 vehicle-hours per vehicle to 137.33 vehicle-hours per vehicle, a reduction of 25.45%, when coordinating signal was adopted between the intersections. For the forecasted year up to 2029, coordination remained the best alternative among other alternatives. The analysis demonstrates that a coordinated system with a CCG at the optimum cycle length can efficiently clear the intersections without causing spillback between them. Therefore, it is recommended for implementation, as it does not require any geometric improvements or construction of additional infrastructure. However, it is recommended that further studies on demand management strategies and network optimization options within the city's network be conducted.

Keywords

Spill back of Queue, Delay, Coordinated System, Common Control Group, Optimum Cycle Length.