STUDY OF TRAFFIC FLOWS AT A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION

Abstract

This article analyses the four-way intersection of Pramonės, Savanorių and Šiaurės prospekts in Kaunas city. The intersection is a high-volume intersection that connects three avenues. The section of Savanorių Avenue is used as the main arrival and departure artery connecting the A1 and A6 trunk roads. The traffic volume has been analysed during the morning rush hour. Vehicle passing data were collected over a two-week period. It was collected twice on four days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The aim of the studies was to carry out a traffic flow study at the four-way intersection of Pramonės, Savanorių and Šiaurės Avenue and to propose measures to improve the traffic flow. PTV VISSIM (Student Version, 2022) software was used to model traffic flows. The analysis of the morning peak hour traffic flows shows that there are approximately 8006 vehicles moving in the directions of the four-way intersection. When the control phase durations of the traffic lights at the intersection were evaluated, it was observed that the control of the traffic lights on Šiaurės and Pramonės Avenue is combined. The simulation results for the intersection with the additional right-hand exits are presented. The simulation results obtained showed that the additional right-hand turns make the intersection insignificantly more efficient and more permeable than the current intersection. In the direction of Pramonės Avenue, the waiting period of vehicles is reduced by 5.9%, while in the direction of Savanorių Avenue, the queue lengths of vehicles exiting the city remain unchanged compared to the current intersection.