shoulders. Reducing the number of lanes would require traffic analysis to determine if Interstate operations can be maintained at acceptable levels with a reduction of travel lanes. A possible scenario for reducing lanes would be through the closure of the Pine Street or Courtland Street exits. If it is determined that these exits could be closed without affecting the Interstate operations, the exit lane space could be repurposed as additional shoulder width. The increased shoulders could only be applied in localized areas as shoulders would have to narrow again to existing widths to pass under the existing bridges which are proposed to be retained. Increased shoulders could also be accomplished by offsetting the proposed exterior bridge bents to allow for additional width under the cap structure. This approach will have to balance the benefits of additional shoulder width with the impacts to adjacent properties. It is also anticipated that exterior bents will need to be offset in some locations to accommodate emergency egress and safety systems, which may limit the opportunities to increase roadway shoulder widths.
Figure D-6: Existing Horizontal Curve on the Downtown Connector that does not meet Horizontal Sight Offset (HSO)
A component of having a design exception approved for reduced shoulder widths will be to demonstrate that all travel lanes have sufficient stopping sight distance.
D-8
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator