Officials say goals of new intersection design met beyond expectations during first evaluation
Six months after the opening of the newly configured Beechmont-Five Mile Continuous Flow Intersection, local officials and stakeholders say the project is a winner.
The primary goals of reduced vehicle delay, improved safety and accommodation of pedestrians all have been met, with accidents on track to potentially drop to one third of previous numbers.
“From our viewpoint the biggest success has been in the reduction of traffic accidents,” noted Eric Beck, deputy engineer/field operations at the Hamilton County Engineer’s Office. “While we are still monitoring crash reports, the first six months has shown a significant reduction in crashes. If the current numbers continue for the year, the number of crashes will be a third of what it was prior to construction.”
The project, which spanned more than a decade in planning and implementation, caused some concern for drivers who wondered how the new traffic pattern would work. But Steve Sievers, Anderson’s assistant administrator for operations, said after the first month, questions and comments about the CFI died down as residents used the intersection successfully and as minor adjustments to turning lanes were implemented.
Here’s what data shows about the first six months of operation:
Crash data compiled by the Hamilton County Engineer’s Office, and recent reports from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office indicated accidents are down, and the average time interval between accidents has increased by 223 percent. Five accidents have been reported at the location in the six-month period, about one every six weeks since it opened in mid-May 2017. By comparison, Sievers noted that in the last 10 years an average of 29 accidents a year occurred at the site, about one every 1.8 weeks.
“There is little indication of the accidents that were reported that the CFI configuration was a contributing factor,” Sievers noted. Like other Continuous Flow Intersections already in use, the potential for the most severe accidents has reduced, he said. This is another benefit of the design as it “reduces the possibility for angled crashes which often result in serious injuries,” he said.
Travel delay reduction was measured by TEC Engineering, a consulting engineering group, in recent weeks, with a reduction in average delay for the intersection during the morning rush hour of 57.8 percent. (Comparisons were drawn between 2004 conditions and 2017.) For the evening rush hour, the average delay per vehicle was reduced by 44.7 seconds, or 60.7 percent. The largest improvement was noted in the eastbound Beechmont traffic, during the evening rush hour.
Pedestrian access, another goal for the project, has increased, with crossing sequences now in place that do not conflict with automobile traffic. “Recently built and upcoming sidewalks on the south side of Beechmont connecting nearby neighborhoods will only make access more possible,” Sievers noted. Today, many walkers, runners, wheelchair users and pedestrians with strollers have safely used the intersection, travelling from refuge island to refuge island, with “no impact on traffic flow,” he said.
Trustee President Josh Gerth acknowledged the driver changes necessary to maneuver the intersection might have been awkward at first. However, “the residents of Anderson Township and those who travel through here will hopefully be elated with the news of its success… Not only is the intersection logistically working but it is also dramatically decreasing the accident rate and therefore quickly becoming yet another positive beacon for our community.”
“The continuous flow intersection was a unique solution that is helping to move traffic on SR 125 (Beechmont Avenue) more efficiently,” said ODOT District 8 Spokesman Brian Cunningham.
“You can’t argue with the numbers,” noted Township Trustee Vice President Andrew Pappas. “While under construction it was a topic of much discussion, but in the end, it was designed to make this critical intersection safer and flow more smoothly. The proof is in the pudding."
For more information from TEC Engineering, please see the files below.