Three-level diamond interchange

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Three-level diamond diagram. Arrows are for traffic driving on the right. Volleyball Interchange Diagram.gif
Three-level diamond diagram. Arrows are for traffic driving on the right.

A three-level diamond interchange is a type of highway interchange where through traffic on both main roads is grade-separated from intersections which handle transferring traffic. [1] It is similar in design to a three-level stacked roundabout except for its use of (usually signalled) conventional intersections, and can be thought of as two diamond interchanges fused together.

Contents

Road enthusiasts sometimes use the terms volleyball interchange or split-level diamond interchange to refer to these interchanges. [2]

Description

In a three-level diamond interchange, the two main roads are on separate levels, and on a third level, usually in the middle, there is a square of one-way roads. The square circulates clockwise where traffic drives on the left, or anticlockwise where it drives on the right. At each corner of the square is the terminal of an exit ramp from one main road and an entrance ramp to the other main road.

Traffic transferring from one road to the other to make an overall right turn only passes through one corner of the square, at which point a right turn is made. Transfer traffic making an overall left turn must proceed straight through the first intersection it encounters, turn left at the next, and then proceed straight through a third intersection to enter the other main roadway.

Its two-level variant is the split diamond interchange.

Its at-grade variant is the town center intersection (TCI).

Examples

LocationFirst RouteSecond RouteNotes
Phoenix, Arizona, United StatesIndian School RoadI-17.svg I-17 (Black Canyon Freeway)Proposed three-level diamond interchange, will include I-17's frontage roads and Texas U-turns for Indian School Road traffic. [3]
Doral, Florida, United States MIA Cargo ViaductFlorida 826.svg SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway)Northwest 25th Street serves as a frontage road for the MIA Cargo Viaduct. A flyover ramp was added to allow westbound MIA Cargo Viaduct traffic to join SR 826 north. [4]
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United StatesI-380.svg I-380 Elongated circle 100.svg Iowa 100 Collector/distributor roads intersect.
Detroit, Michigan, United StatesI-75.svg I-75 (Walter P. Chrysler Freeway)M-102 rectangle.svg M-102 (8 Mile Road)I-75 uses frontage roads
M-1.svg M-1 (Woodward Avenue)M-102 rectangle.svg M-102 (8 Mile Road)
M-10.svg M-10 (John C. Lodge Freeway)M-102 rectangle.svg M-102 (8 Mile Road)Includes slip ramps from northbound M-10 to westbound M-102, eastbound M-102 to southbound M-10, and westbound M-102 to northbound M-10. M-10 uses frontage roads
Redford Township, Wayne County, Michigan, United StatesI-96.svg I-96 (Jeffries Freeway)US 24.svg US 24 (Telegraph Road)I-96 uses frontage roads
Jefferson City, Missouri, United StatesUS 50.svgUS 63.svg US 50  / US 63 northboundUS 54.svgUS 63.svg US 54  / US 63 southboundA flyover ramp has been added to allow westbound US 54 traffic to join US 50 east, bypassing one intersection. This addition necessitates the use of a nearby city street to transfer from westbound US 50 to westbound US 54.
Asheville, North Carolina, United StatesI-240.svg I-240 US 70.svg US 70 I-240 exit 7
High Point, North Carolina, United StatesI-74.svgUS 311.svg I-74  / US 311 Business Loop 85.svgUS 29.svgUS 70.svg I-85 BL  / US 29  / US 70 I-74 exit 71B
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United StatesOklahoma State Highway 74.svg SH-74 Kilpatrick Turnpike.svg Kilpatrick Turnpike Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange (signed as Portland Avenue and West Memorial Road, respectively, for the first and second routes). Two flyover ramps, one from westbound Kilpatrick Turnpike to southbound OK-74 and the other from northbound OK-74 to eastbound Kilpatrick Turnpike, are included with the interchange.
Marple Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United StatesI-476.svg I-476 US 1.svg US 1 I-476 exit 5
Robinson Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, United StatesTurnpike-576.svg PA Turnpike 576 US 22.svg US 22 PA 576 exit 6
Austin, Texas, United StatesUS 183.svg US 183 Texas Loop 275.svg Loop 275 Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange
Big Spring, Texas, United StatesUS 87.svg US 87 I-20.svg I-20 Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange
Conroe, Texas, United StatesTexas 242.svg SH 242 I-45.svg I-45 Proposed three-level diamond interchange. [5] Currently, at-grade frontage roads and two flyover ramps, one from northbound I-45 to westbound SH 242 (College Park Drive) and the other from westbound SH 242 (Needham Road) to southbound I-45, are included with the interchange. A third flyover from northbound I-45 to eastbound SH 242 is in the planning stages. [6]
Dallas, Texas, United StatesTexas Loop 12.svg Loop 12 (Buckner Boulevard)I-30.svgUS 67.svg I-30  / US 67 Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange
Del Valle, Texas, United States71 Toll Lane free.svg 71 Toll Lanes Toll Texas 130 new.svg SH 130 Toll (Pickle Parkway)Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange. A flyover ramp was added to allow eastbound SH 71 traffic to join SH 130 north.
El Paso, Texas, United StatesUS 54.svg US 54 (Patriot Freeway)Texas Loop 375.svg Loop 375 (Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive)Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange
Frisco, Texas, United StatesToll Texas SRT new.svg Sam Rayburn Tollway Texas 289.svg SH 289 (Preston Road)Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange (signed as SH 121 for the first route)
Toll Texas DNT new.svg Dallas North Tollway US 380.svg US 380 (University Drive)Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange (signed as Dallas Parkway for the first route)
US 380.svg US 380 (University Drive)Texas 289.svg SH 289 (Preston Road)Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange.
Houston, Texas, United StatesTexas 6.svgTexas FM 1960.svg SH 6  / FM 1960 US 290.svg US 290 (Northwest Freeway)Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange. A flyover ramp was added to allow northbound SH 6 traffic to join U.S. 290 east.
Texas 6.svg SH 6 I-10.svg I-10 (Katy Freeway)Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange.
Texas Beltway 8.svg Beltway 8 (Sam Houston Parkway)Hardy Toll Road.svg Hardy Toll Road Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange. A flyover ramp was added to allow eastbound Beltway 8 traffic to join Hardy Toll Road north.
Texas FM 1960.svg FM 1960 (Cypress Creek Parkway)Hardy Toll Road.svg Hardy Toll Road Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange.
Fort Bend Toll Road.svg Fort Bend Tollway Sam Houston Tollway.svg Sam Houston Tollway Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange (signed as Hillcroft Avenue and Beltway 8, respectively, for the first and second routes).
Fort Bend Parkway Toll Road Texas 6.svg SH 6 Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange.
Grand Parkway Toll Road Fort Bend Westpark Tollway Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange (signed as SH 99 and F.M. 1093, respectively, for the first and second routes). A flyover ramp was added to allow southbound Grand Parkway traffic to join Westpark Tollway east.
I-45.svg I-45 (North Freeway)Texas FM 1960.svg FM 1960 Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchanges.
I-45.svg I-45 (North Freeway)Greens Road
Memorial DriveHouston Avenue
Sam Houston Tollway.svg Sam Houston Tollway US 90.svg US 90 (Crosby Freeway)Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchanges (signed as Beltway 8 for Sam Houston Tollway).
Sam Houston Tollway.svg Sam Houston Tollway Alternate plate.svg
US 90.svg
US 90 Alt.
Texas 249.svg SH 249 (Tomball Parkway)Texas FM 1960.svg FM 1960 Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange.
Lubbock, Texas, United StatesUS 62.svgUS 82.svg US 62  / US 82 Texas Loop 289.svg Loop 289 Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchanges.
US 84.svg US 84 I-27.svgUS 87.svg I-27  / US 87
Texas Loop 289.svg Loop 289 I-27.svgUS 87.svg I-27  / US 87
Texas Loop 289.svg Loop 289 US 82.svgTexas 114.svg US 82  / SH 114
Mont Belvieu, Texas, United StatesToll Texas 99 new.svg SH 99 Toll (Grand Parkway)I-10.svg I-10 Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange.
New Caney, Texas, United StatesToll Texas 99 new.svg SH 99 Toll (Grand Parkway)I-69.svgUS 59.svg I-69  / US 59 Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange. Two flyover ramps, one from eastbound SH 99 to northbound I-69/US 59 and the other from northbound I-69/US 59 to westbound SH 99, are included with the interchange.
Pasadena, Texas, United StatesSam Houston Tollway.svg Sam Houston Tollway Texas 225.svg SH 225 (Pasadena Freeway)Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange (signed as Beltway 8 for the first route).
Richardson, Texas, United StatesUS 75.svg US 75 ( Central Expressway )Spring Valley RoadIncludes frontage roads at-grade with interchanges.
Round Rock, Texas, United StatesUS 79.svg US 79 Toll Texas 130 new.svg SH 130 Toll (Pickle Parkway)
Sherman, Texas, United StatesUS 75.svg US 75 US 82.svg US 82
Spring, Texas, United StatesToll Texas 99 new.svg SH 99 Toll (Grand Parkway)I-45.svg I-45 (North Freeway)Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange. Two flyover ramps, one from eastbound SH 99 to northbound I-45 and the other from southbound I-45 to westbound SH 99, are included with the interchange.
Sugar Land, Texas, United StatesI-69.svgUS 59.svg I-69  / US 59 Alternate plate.svg
US 90.svg
US 90 Alt.
Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange
Tomball, Texas, United StatesToll Texas 99 new.svg SH 99 Toll (Grand Parkway)Tomball Tollway.svg Tomball Tollway Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchange (signed as SH 249 for the second route). The southern half of the interchange has four flyover ramps: two from northbound Tomball Tollway to east and westbound SH 99 and the other two from SH 99 (west and eastbound) to Tomball Tollway southbound
Tyler, Texas, United StatesToll Texas 49 new.svg Loop 49 Toll I-20.svg I-20 Includes frontage roads at-grade with interchanges.
Waco, Texas, United StatesTexas 6.svgTexas Loop 340.svg SH 6  / Loop 340 US 84.svg US 84
I-35.svg I-35 (Jack Kultgen Freeway)Business plate.svg
US 77.svg
Bus. US 77 (New Dallas Highway)
US 84.svg US 84 (Waco Drive)Business plate.svg
US 77.svg
Bus. US 77
Alexandria, Virginia, United StatesI-395.svg I-395 ( Shirley Highway )Seminary RoadI-395 exit 4
Fairfax County, Virginia, United StatesVirginia 286.svg SR 286 ( Fairfax County Parkway )US 29.svg US 29 The south end of West Ox Road also meets this interchange.
Welch, West Virginia, United StatesUS 52.svg US 52 ( King Coal Highway )US 121.svg US 121 ( Coalfields Expressway )As of 2011, grading has been completed for interchange but interchange itself has not been constructed.
Wheeling, West Virginia, United StatesI-470.svg I-470 US 250.svgWV-2.svg US 250  / WV 2 Entire interchange is elevated above city streets.
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, United StatesI-41.svgUS 45 (WI).svg I-41  / US 45 WIS 190.svg WIS 190 (Capitol Drive)An access road for the adjacent Harley-Davidson plant is also part of the interchange.
Belmont, Queensland, AustraliaAUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svg Gateway Motorway ( M1 )Australian state route 22.svg Old Cleveland Road ( State Route 22 )Two of the ramps are two-way for a short distance to allow access from the interchange to and from local streets.
Düsseldorf-Stockum, Germany Autobahn 44 Bundesstraße 8 At 51°16′16.9″N6°45′1.8″E / 51.271361°N 6.750500°E / 51.271361; 6.750500 ; rare design in Germany

Many examples of this interchange type can also be found in Texas; however, the interchanges almost always include the frontage roads as well. If the traffic amounts increase, the interchange is usually converted into a stack interchange, also as the second level of the High Five Interchange.

Related Research Articles

An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway. An overpass and underpass together form a grade separation. Stack interchanges are made up of several overpasses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloverleaf interchange</span> A type of interchange using loop ramps

A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left, vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the other, then exit right onto a one-way three-fourths loop ramp (270°) and merge onto the intersecting road. The objective of a cloverleaf is to allow two highways to cross without the need for any traffic to be stopped by traffic lights. The limiting factor in the capacity of a cloverleaf interchange is traffic weaving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grade separation</span> Type of road junction

In civil engineering, grade separation is a method of aligning a junction of two or more surface transport axes at different heights (grades) so that they will not disrupt the traffic flow on other transit routes when they cross each other. The composition of such transport axes does not have to be uniform; it can consist of a mixture of roads, footpaths, railways, canals, or airport runways. Bridges, tunnels, or a combination of both can be built at a junction to achieve the needed grade separation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diamond interchange</span> Common type of road junction

A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a controlled-access highway crosses a minor road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single-point urban interchange</span> Highway interchange design

A single-point urban interchange, also called a single-point interchange (SPI) or single-point diamond interchange (SPDI), is a type of highway interchange. The design was created in order to help move large volumes of traffic through limited amounts of space safely and efficiently.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Partial cloverleaf interchange</span> Modification of a cloverleaf interchange

A partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 380 (Iowa)</span> Auxiliary Interstate Highway in Iowa, United States

Interstate 380 (I-380) is a 73-mile (117 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in eastern Iowa. The route extends from I-80 near Coralville to Waterloo. I-380 connects the cities of Cedar Rapids and Waterloo, the state's second- and sixth-largest cities, respectively, to the Interstate Highway System. Except for its last 1.5 miles (2.4 km) north of U.S. Highway 20 (US 20), I-380 runs concurrently with Iowa Highway 27 (Iowa 27), which represents Iowa's portion of the 560-mile (900 km) Avenue of the Saints highway connecting Saint Louis, Missouri, with Saint Paul, Minnesota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diverging diamond interchange</span> Freeway interchange design

A diverging diamond interchange (DDI), also called a double crossover diamond interchange (DCD), is a subset of diamond interchange in which the opposing directions of travel on the non-freeway road cross each other on either side of the interchange so that traffic crossing the freeway on the overpass or underpass is operating on the opposite driving side from that which is customary for the jurisdiction. The crossovers may employ one-side overpasses or be at-grade and controlled by traffic light.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interchange (road)</span> Road junction that uses grade separation

In the field of road transport, an interchange or a grade-separated junction is a road junction that uses grade separations to allow for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways or highways, using a system of interconnecting roadways to permit traffic on at least one of the routes to pass through the junction without interruption from crossing traffic streams. It differs from a standard intersection, where roads cross at grade. Interchanges are almost always used when at least one road is a controlled-access highway or a limited-access divided highway (expressway), though they are sometimes used at junctions between surface streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stack interchange</span> A type of freeway interchange

A directional interchange, colloquially known as a stack interchange, is a type of grade-separated junction between two controlled-access highways that allows for free-flowing movement to and from all directions of traffic. These interchanges eliminate the problems of weaving, have the highest vehicle capacity, and vehicles travel shorter distances when compared to different types of interchanges.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iowa Highway 965</span> State highway in Iowa, United States

Iowa Highway 965 (Iowa 965) is a very short state highway in Coralville, Iowa that connects U.S. Highway 6 (US 6) to Interstate 80 (I-80) as there is no direct access between the two routes. Prior to 2003, Iowa 965 was a much longer route, extending to Cedar Rapids along the former alignment of US 218.

In the field of road transport, a turnaround is a type of junction that allows traffic traveling in one direction on a road to efficiently make a U-turn typically without backing up or making dangerous maneuvers in the middle of the traffic stream. While many junction types permit U-turns, the term turnaround often applies to road junctions built specifically for this purpose.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 70 in Pennsylvania</span> Section of Interstate highway in Pennsylvania, United States

Interstate 70 (I-70) in the US state of Pennsylvania runs east–west across the southwest part of the state serving the southern fringe of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. About half of the route is concurrent with I-76 on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which is a toll road. This is the oldest segment of I-70 in Pennsylvania, having been completed in 1940, and is only one of two segments of I-70 that are tolled, with the other being the Kansas Turnpike. I-70 is one of only a few Interstate Highways to have a traffic signal—in this case, with U.S. Route 30 (US 30) in Breezewood, where it leaves the Pennsylvania Turnpike and heads toward Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 52 in Minnesota</span> Section of U.S. Highway in Minnesota, United States

U.S. Highway 52 (US 52) enters the state of Minnesota at the unincorporated community of Prosper, north of the town of Burr Oak, Iowa. The route is marked north–south in Minnesota along its independent segment from the Iowa state line to downtown St. Paul. US 52 is not signed along the length of its concurrency with Interstate 94 (I-94) from downtown St. Paul to the North Dakota state line at Moorhead and Fargo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 90 in Texas</span> Section of U.S. Numbered Highway in Texas, United States

U.S. Route 90 is a major east-west highway in the U.S. state of Texas with large portions of it running concurrently with I-10. US 90 begins at Bus. I-10 in Van Horn, travels through San Antonio and Houston, and continues on into the state of Louisiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 90</span>

Interstate 90 Business may refer to several business routes of the Interstate Highway System that connects Interstate 90 with the central business district of various cities bypassed by I-90. Each business route can be either a business loop or a business spur, depending on whether both ends connect to I-90. The business route in each community is considered a unique route. In many cases, these routes are a former section of a U.S. Route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 74 in Iowa</span> Highway in Iowa

Interstate 74 (I-74) is the central freeway through the Iowa Quad Cities. It roughly divides Davenport to the west and Bettendorf to the east. The Interstate Highway begins at an interchange with I-80 at the northeastern edge of Davenport and continues into Illinois at the Mississippi River by crossing the I-74 Bridge. The freeway was built in stages during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Business routes of Interstate 40</span> Highway system

Interstate business routes are roads connecting a central or commercial district of a city or town with an Interstate bypass. These roads typically follow along local streets often along a former U.S. Route or state highway that had been replaced by an Interstate. Interstate business route reassurance markers are signed as either loops or spurs using a green shield shaped and numbered like the shield of the parent Interstate highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossary of road transport terms</span>

Terminology related to road transport—the transport of passengers or goods on paved routes between places—is diverse, with variation between dialects of English. There may also be regional differences within a single country, and some terms differ based on the side of the road traffic drives on. This glossary is an alphabetical listing of road transport terms.

References

  1. Indiana Department of Transportation, "Interchanges" (PDF). (203  KiB), pages 21 and 22
  2. Oglesby, Scott. "Volleyball Interchange". Kurumi's Field Guide to Interchanges. Retrieved 23 August 2013.[ self-published source ]
  3. "Interstate 17: Indian School Road Traffic Interchange Improvement Project". Arizona Department of Transportation. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  4. "Road Project Gives Trucks Direct Access to MIA Cargo Area". AVIATIONPROS. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  5. "Montgomery County Precinct 2 Mobility Study - Recommendations". Experience.ArcGIS.com. The Woodlands: Houston-Galveston Area Council. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  6. Thompson, Ben (6 April 2021). "Eastbound, Nontolled Flyover Road from I-45 to Eastbound Hwy. 242 Enters Preconstruction Phase". CommunityImpact.com. The Woodlands: Community Impact Newspaper . Retrieved 5 June 2023.