TxDOT to open first 'continuous flow' intersection in San Marcos

Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
April 30, 2014

On Thursday evening, May 1, the Texas Department of Transportation will unveil the Austin District’s first continuous flow intersection at I-35 and Aquarena Springs Drive in San Marcos.

The project is designed to improve safety and relieve congestion by improving left-turn movements, adding raised medians, and building sidewalks to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. As with any new traffic intersection design, drivers should refer to signage, pavement markings, and the roadway geometry to help guide them through the intersection.

A continuous flow intersection is an innovative intersection that helps motorists to travel more efficiently by allowing left-turning traffic and through-traffic to move at the same time. Traditional intersections have left-turning traffic in the middle of the road, so through-traffic must wait for those vehicles to turn. A continuous flow intersection shifts left-turning traffic to the outside edges of the road, which allows through-traffic to move through the middle of an intersection simultaneously, thus increasing the number of vehicles that can make it through the intersection in a single traffic light cycle.

Once the Aquarena Springs project is complete, crews will begin similar work on the intersection at I-35 and Hopkins Street. Improvements to the intersections will enhance safety and mobility along the I-35 corridor due to a rapidly-growing transportation demand in the area.

Construction costs for both intersection improvement projects are estimated at $4.7 million. The contractor is Dan Williams Company of Austin.

For more information about continuous flow intersections or to watch video animations, visit www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/projects/studies/austin/i35-aquarena-hopkins.html.

For media inquiries, contact Kelli Reyna at kelli.reyna@txdot.gov or (512) 832-7060.