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12 lane DDI opening (University Parkway SW Florida)

Started by johndoe, May 21, 2017, 09:09:34 AM

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johndoe



iBallasticwolf2

As a person who often goes to this area to visit family, I can say that this DDI will improve traffic massively.  University Parkway at I-75 can be a VERY congested interchange especially with how close it is to the Market Street and Cattleman Road intersections. Hopefully the next interchange in the Sarasota area to be completed will be the Bee Ridge Road hybrid DDI (which is a very interesting design in and of itself).
Only two things are infinite in this world, stupidity, and I-75 construction

Revive 755

Quote from: iBallasticwolf2 on May 21, 2017, 09:15:22 AM
Hopefully the next interchange in the Sarasota area to be completed will be the Bee Ridge Road hybrid DDI (which is a very interesting design in and of itself).

For anyone else whose curiosity was piqued by the above:  http://www.swflroads.com/i75/beeridgerdtofruitvillerd/about_the_project.html

rickmastfan67


uknowbeers

Does anyone else think this is a bad design choice? Five-plus lanes in each direction for a DDI? It seems like a full interchange without traffic signals (using grade separation and flyovers) would have been a better choice, but probably would have cost much more than $75 million. I assume the majority of that price is to replace the I-75 bridges.

Anthony_JK

Quote from: uknowbeers on May 31, 2017, 12:19:08 AM
Does anyone else think this is a bad design choice? Five-plus lanes in each direction for a DDI? It seems like a full interchange without traffic signals (using grade separation and flyovers) would have been a better choice, but probably would have cost much more than $75 million. I assume the majority of that price is to replace the I-75 bridges.

I don't agree...I think this is the best choice for a major arterial intersecting a freeway. Not enough room or ROW space for a directional interchange, and a DDI, when properly striped and signalized, can be far more cost effective for such interchanges. Though, I'd want to see how a SPUI would work here as well.

jakeroot

FDOT's traffic online tool shows the following AADT numbers:

60k for the parkway west of the 75;
34k east of the 75;
32k to/from the 75 north of University Parkway; and
36.5k to/from the 75 south of University Parkway.

The real issue is how much traffic continues along the parkway (through the junction). Hopefully, it's not that much, because DDI's create split phasing where there wasn't any prior. This is bad, because both directions cannot proceed at the same time, creating a sort of choke-point.

The number of lanes reminds me of the (fictional?) story of the White City Circle in Manchester, England. Apparently, this supercomputer was built to assist in modelling junction redesigns. The local council inputted the traffic data, along with the proposed design of the circle, and the computer spit out "++more lanes". So, they added more lanes. Yet over and over again, the computer would keep saying "++more lanes". Eventually, they decided there was enough lanes, and they built the circle. Only later did they found out that the computer was screwed up, and repeatedly spit out the same thing over and over again, regardless of the traffic data inputted.

The point? I think FDOT's computers are spitting out the same erroneous message. Then again, if a bunch of traffic is continuing past the 75, they're gonna need those twelve lanes to store cars, as the split phase situation is really going to screw with things.

intelati49

Quote from: Revive 755 on May 21, 2017, 10:43:22 AM
Quote from: iBallasticwolf2 on May 21, 2017, 09:15:22 AM
Hopefully the next interchange in the Sarasota area to be completed will be the Bee Ridge Road hybrid DDI (which is a very interesting design in and of itself).

For anyone else whose curiosity was piqued by the above:  http://www.swflroads.com/i75/beeridgerdtofruitvillerd/about_the_project.html

Holy crap... Is... Is this an actual project? Seems crazy to me.

Sykotyk

Quote from: intelati49 on June 02, 2017, 11:45:00 AM
Quote from: Revive 755 on May 21, 2017, 10:43:22 AM
Quote from: iBallasticwolf2 on May 21, 2017, 09:15:22 AM
Hopefully the next interchange in the Sarasota area to be completed will be the Bee Ridge Road hybrid DDI (which is a very interesting design in and of itself).

For anyone else whose curiosity was piqued by the above:  http://www.swflroads.com/i75/beeridgerdtofruitvillerd/about_the_project.html

Holy crap... Is... Is this an actual project? Seems crazy to me.

Some of those left turn setups for the eastbound direction seem crazy to me. This better be signed and marked well. Because during very low traffic times at night, I can see drunks and tired people easily not going all the way to the far left. Also, 'turning left' about a block before your turn to ride counter to traffic on the far left before reaching your intersection seems haphazard at best.

iBallasticwolf2

#9
Yesterday while on my vacation, I managed to get a chance to go through the University Parkway DDI, and, even though not all the lanes are open and its still under construction, its yuge.

Going on University Parkway eastbound, you can see the 2 lane entrance to I-75 as well as the unfinished lane on the far right.



A yet to be put up sign showing 2 lanes going onto I-75 southbound from westbound University Parkway.

I also want to add that the southbound Fruitville Road/FL 780 ramp from I-75 is being updated to a 2 lane exit, and I-75 is getting a new auxiliary lane between University Parkway and FL 780.
Only two things are infinite in this world, stupidity, and I-75 construction



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