The city of Auburn Hills will install the state’s first intersection that’s designed so motorists can make direct left turns onto the freeway without crossing opposing lines of traffic. Called a Diverging Diamond Interchange, construction on the $25 million project will begin this spring and be completed later this year.
“This innovative interchange will benefit our residents and be enormously advantageous to our thriving business community comprised of world-class companies,” says Mayor Kevin McDaniel.
The University Drive interchange from Cross Creek to Opdyke Road will be turned into the Diverging Diamond Interchange — which is designed to improve safety and decrease congestion.
The interchanges look similar to other intersections, but as traffic approaches the cross road at the first ramp, traffic is positioned on the opposite side of the road. At the second set of ramps, another crossover intersection returns traffic back to the right side of the road. The interchange also eliminates the need for extra left turn lanes or left turn traffic signals.
The Diverging Diamond Interchange was named by Popular Science magazine as one of the best innovations of 2009. Missouri was the first state to construct the interchange. The Federal Highway Administration estimates that the diverging diamond configuration in Missouri enables 600 left turns onto the freeway per hour per lane, which is double that of an ordinary interchange. There are currently 17 Diverging Diamond Interchanges throughout the country.
For more information, visit AuburnHills.org/community/2015roadprojects/university_bridge_project.php.
