![RCUT Intersection Diagram](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/RCUT_Intersection_Diagram.png)
A superstreet, also known as a restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT), J-turn, or reduced conflict intersection (RCI), is a type of
road intersection
An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections a ...
that is a variation of the
Michigan left
A Michigan left or P-turn is an at-grade intersection design that replaces each left (farside) turn at an intersection between a (major) divided roadway and a secondary (minor) roadway with the combination of a right (nearside) turn followe ...
. In this configuration, in contrast to the Michigan left, traffic on the minor road is not permitted to proceed straight across the major road or highway. Drivers on the minor road wishing to turn left or go straight must turn right onto the major road, then, a short distance away, queue (wait) into a designated
U-turn (or crossover) lane in the
median
In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...
. When traffic clears, they complete the
U-turn
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a m ...
and then either go straight or make a right turn when they intersect the other half of the minor road.
The superstreet typically requires four
traffic light
Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – known also as robots in South Africa are signalling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control flows of traf ...
-controlled intersections, and most traffic must pass through two of them, but each light has only two phases, greatly increasing average traffic flow; there is no need for numerous left-turn phases where most traffic is waiting for only a few cars to clear the intersection. Turning movements on roads with lower cross-traffic volumes may be controlled with
stop
Stop may refer to:
Places
* Stop, Kentucky, an unincorporated community in the United States
* Stop (Rogatica), a village in Rogatica, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Facilities
* Bus stop
* Truck stop, a type of rest stop for truck d ...
or
yield sign
In road transport, a yield or give way sign indicates that merging drivers must prepare to stop if necessary to let a driver on another approach proceed. A driver who stops or slows down to let another vehicle through has yielded the right of ...
s for turning traffic rather than with signals.
Variations
A (standard) RCUT, in contrast to a Michigan left, typically allows left turns from the major road to minor roads. A variation, designated by the US
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
(FHWA) as a basic RCUT, prohibits such turns, restricting movements to
right-in/right-out
Right-in/right-out (RIRO) and left-in/left-out (LILO) refer to a type of three-way road intersection where turning movements of vehicles are restricted. A RIRO permits only right turns and a LILO permits only left turns. "Right-in" and "left-in" r ...
s and median
U-turn
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a m ...
s only.)
Practicality
Superstreets are not very common because they require substantial
right-of-way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
to provide a median that can accommodate truck traffic. Inconvenience to traffic on the minor road is mostly a perception issue and does not represent additional delay in most cases. However, superstreets are cheaper to construct than
controlled-access highway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...
s and improve the flow of traffic on the major road.
Examples
In
Port St. Lucie, Florida
Port St. Lucie is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. It is the most populous municipality in the county with a population of 204,851 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is located southeast of Orlando, Florida, O ...
, the first superstreet in Florida was opened in late 2019 at the intersection of Crosstown Parkway and Floresta Drive.
In May 2015, a superstreet was constructed on
US 41
U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...
at
SR 114 on the border between
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
and
Beaver Township in
Newton County, Indiana
Newton County is a county located near the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 14,244. This county is part of Northwest Indiana as well as the Chicago metropolitan area. The county seat is Kentla ...
. The state of Indiana makes a distinction between an RCUT, which it defines as having a traffic light-controlled main intersection, and a J-turn or RCI, which it defines as having the main intersection controlled by stop or yield signs. Two examples of what Indiana calls a "J-turn" opened on June 30, 2016 at the intersections of
US 231
U.S. Route 231 (US 231) is a north-south U.S highway that is a parallel route of US 31. It runs for from St. John, Indiana, at US 41 to south of US 98 in downtown Panama City, Florida.
One of its most notable landmarks is ...
with
IN 62 and
IN 68 near
Dale. Traffic on the state roads at both intersections can only turn right, while US 231 traffic can turn left at both intersections.
Troy, Michigan
Troy is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, United States. Its population was 87,294 at the 2020 U.S. census, making Troy the most populous city in the county and the 13th most-populous municipality in the state. Troy is a northern suburb of Me ...
has a superstreet on West Big Beaver Road at Lakeview Drive. . A simpler implementation is seen in
Washington Township, Macomb County, Michigan
Washington Charter Township, located within Metro Detroit, is a charter township of Macomb County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 25,139 at the 2010 census. Washington Township is bordered by the village of Romeo as well as Ray ...
at M-53 and 30 Mile Road.
Lake Elmo, Minnesota
Lake Elmo is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 11,335 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. According to 2021 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a popula ...
has a superstreet intersection on
MN 36 at Keats Avenue ().
In
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
, five superstreet intersections were included as a part of
U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 or U.S. Highway 17 (US 17), also known as the Coastal Highway, is a north–south United States Highway that spans in the southeastern United States. It runs close to the Atlantic Coast for much of its length, with ...
's recent upgrades near
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States.
With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...
(). There are also five superstreet intersections in
Holly Springs along the
NC 55
North Carolina Highway 55 (NC 55) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It serves as a traffic artery connecting Durham with Cary and numerous small cities and towns in The Triangle on its way toward the Pamli ...
bypass.
In 2011,
Ohio State Route 4 Bypass in
Butler County, Ohio
Butler County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 390,357. Its county seat is Hamilton. It is named for General Richard Butler, who died in 1791 during St. Clair' ...
, was reconfigured with three superstreet intersections.
The
Ohio Department of Transportation
The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT; ) is the administrative department of the Ohio state government responsible for developing and maintaining all state and U.S. roadways outside of municipalities and all Interstates except the Ohio T ...
(ODOT) is also planning to build a superstreet on
US 127
U.S. Route 127 (US 127) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at US 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 (I-75) near Gr ...
at Kruckeberg Road in
Greenville Township, Darke County beginning in summer 2019. ODOT materials make a distinction between the project's standard RCUT design, which ODOT terms a "partial RCUT", and what the FHWA calls a "basic RCUT", which ODOT terms an "RCUT" or a "full RCUT".
In
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
in 2010, several intersections on
US 281
U.S. Route 281 (US 281) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway. At it is the longest continuous three-digit U.S. Route.
The highway's northern terminus is at the International Peace Garden, north of Dunseith, North Dakota, at t ...
were converted to superstreet in the northern
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
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, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
neighborhood of
Stone Oak
Stone Oak is a master planned district in north central San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is located north of Loop 1604 and west of U.S. 281. The district has many gated communities with 24-hour security, well-landscaped medians, granite roc ...
, north of
Loop 1604
Loop 1604 is the outer highway loop encircling San Antonio, Texas, spanning approximately . Originally constructed as a two-lane highway, the northern segment of the route, from US 90 in western San Antonio to Kitty Hawk Road in northeaster ...
, to relieve rush hour congestion. This superstreet was removed in 2019 following the start of construction to convert US 281 into a full freeway. In northwest San Antonio in 2011, two intersections on Loop 1604, north of
State Highway 151, were converted to superstreet. These intersections, however, were also removed when 1604 was upgraded to freeway status in the area. In
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
, a superstreet was built on February 19, 2013, at the intersection of
SH 71 and
Farm to Market Road 973
Farm to Market Road 973 (FM 973) is a farm-to-market road in Travis County, Texas, Travis and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas.
Route description
FM 973 begins at U.S. Route 183 in Texas, US 183 sout ...
east of
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport not far from the eastern boundary of the Austin city limits. This becomes the city of Austin's first superstreet and the second city in Texas to feature this intersection design. This superstreet was removed in 2019 following the construction of the SH 71 Toll Lane. Another superstreet exists in Austin on
Loop 360
Loop 360 is a loop route in Austin in the U.S. state of Texas. Loop 360 is a scenic highway winding through the hills of West Austin. The road is described by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) as "a 4-lane depressed median arteri ...
between the intersections of
Loop 1 and
US 290
U.S. Route 290 (US 290) is an east–west U.S. Highway located entirely within the state of Texas. Its western terminus is at Interstate 10 southeast of Segovia, and its eastern terminus is at Interstate 610 in northwest Houston. It is the ...
which provides access to Barton Creek Plaza. This superstreet allows southbound traffic on Loop 360 to travel from Loop 1 to US 290 without going through any traffic lights.
Benefits
A study showed a 20 percent overall reduction in travel time compared to similar intersections that use conventional traffic designs; intersections experience an average of 46 percent fewer reported automobile collisions – and 63 percent fewer collisions that result in personal injury.
This design also is promoted as part of the FHWA's
Every Day Counts initiative which started in 2011.
See also
*
Michigan left
A Michigan left or P-turn is an at-grade intersection design that replaces each left (farside) turn at an intersection between a (major) divided roadway and a secondary (minor) roadway with the combination of a right (nearside) turn followe ...
References
External links
*
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
Alternative Intersection Treatments - Super-street Median Crossover*Federal Highway Administration
Restricted Crossing U-Turn Intersection Informational Guide(note: this project does not include the left turns from the main road)
North Carolina State University, Institute for Transportation Research and Education - Operational superstreets in the United StatesBrunswick Beacon article''Superstreet considered for U.S. 17''
Information on two superstreets in San Antonio including detailed illustrations of the various traffic flows.
* FHWA
RCUT Case Study – Bypass 55 Corridor in Holly Springs (North Carolina) published July 31, 2014
{{Road junction types
Road junction types