Textured Street Intersections

[Runner]

Recently, our asphalt street was repaved. I noticed that after the pavement was done, they went over an intersection near our home with some type of grinding machine and applied a series of squares in a checkerboard pattern covering most of the intersection. This appears similar to the "rumble strips" they make on the edges of highways to warn you if you drift out of your lane. The carved depressions are probably 4" x 6" and maybe 1/2" deep in rows with spacing about 24" O.C. each way.

The streets are both 2 lanes, with turn lanes each direction and it is a stoplight controlled intersection.

Has anyone seen this done before in an intersection or have any idea why you would do it?

I can't see any good rationale. There are clear sightlines both directions from the intersection for at least a half mile. Once you are in the intersection, it's a little late to warn you there is an intersection there. Also, it seems that all these depressions are a good place for water to collect and freeze in the winter time and/or to collect sand/debris, all of which would make the intersection more slick.

I am baffled.

 

[orezok]

In addition every car that passes over will make a Loud noise heard 1/2 mile away. DUMB!

 

[scootr]

I see the same Grinding done on our back country state highways. I suppose it is to make you aware if you drift over the line. My complaint is when you go to pass You hit the series of depressions which actually reduces your contact/control at higher speeds.

 

[orezok]

We have rumble strips at centerline and fog line on our rural 2 lane roads. You know immediately when you drift out of the lane. Very useful on foggy nights. Intersection strips not so useful.

 

[MossRoad]

Recently, our asphalt street was repaved. I noticed that after the pavement was done, they went over an intersection near our home with some type of grinding machine and applied a series of squares in a checkerboard pattern covering most of the intersection. This appears similar to the "rumble strips" they make on the edges of highways to warn you if you drift out of your lane. The carved depressions are probably 4" x 6" and maybe 1/2" deep in rows with spacing about 24" O.C. each way.

The streets are both 2 lanes, with turn lanes each direction and it is a stoplight controlled intersection.

Has anyone seen this done before in an intersection or have any idea why you would do it?

I can't see any good rationale. There are clear sightlines both directions from the intersection for at least a half mile. Once you are in the intersection, it's a little late to warn you there is an intersection there. Also, it seems that all these depressions are a good place for water to collect and freeze in the winter time and/or to collect sand/debris, all of which would make the intersection more slick.

I am baffled.

Interesting. Got a picture?

 

[paulsharvey]

Could there have been a thermoplastic stripping problem that needed ground or hydroblasted off? What speed limit are we talking about? Typically you wouldn't have ground in rumble strips in anything less than 55mph. A picture would help, or a GEarth imagine if it is updated recently enough to show.

It could also be a design intended to slow traffic in/near pedestrian crossings. I had a friend that works for a small company that did decorative thermoplastic, often in busy tourist area intersections; like a dolphin or palm tree, or whatever, basically a thermoplastic mural. We where talking at Scouts about the business, and it is basically a competitor to brick pavers. I told him, brick pavers look good, but they are expensive, ride like crap, dont last, and are high maintenance, even to the point of being hazardous, as well as hard to get them ADA complaint. He told me I should be a salesman for them...

 

[paulsharvey]

See MoDot 626.4; Transverse Rubble Strips; recommended to be placed as advanced warning for Stop Ahead or Various Cruve signs. MUTCD W3-1 and W1 signs. Also recommend for intersections with poor visibility due to vertical curves (hills) or a history of accidents.

626.4 Transverse Rumble Strips - Engineering_Policy_Guide

epg.modot.org

 

[paulsharvey]

I did glance at the MoDOT standard plans for stripping, intersections, and ground in rumble strips; and it appears the Rubble strips should stop approx 50 ft before the intersection; so this very well could be what is called a 'test section' where they are trying a not standard design. If I had to guess, this would be used at/near a high speed intersection, in a high pedestrian area; near school/shopping/hosiptal/park/ect

 

[paulsharvey]

When I worked for a localish County public works department, we had several no-standard designs; such as divided double yellow center line, with triple RPMs in the center, and RPMs on the outside of the double yellow; mostly high speed rural roadways, where you entered an sharp curve.

 

[Runner]

Could there have been a thermoplastic stripping problem that needed ground or hydroblasted off? What speed limit are we talking about? Typically you wouldn't have ground in rumble strips in anything less than 55mph. A picture would help, or a GEarth imagine if it is updated recently enough to show.

It could also be a design intended to slow traffic in/near pedestrian crossings. I had a friend that works for a small company that did decorative thermoplastic, often in busy tourist area intersections; like a dolphin or palm tree, or whatever, basically a thermoplastic mural. We where talking at Scouts about the business, and it is basically a competitor to brick pavers. I told him, brick pavers look good, but they are expensive, ride like crap, dont last, and are high maintenance, even to the point of being hazardous, as well as hard to get them ADA complaint. He told me I should be a salesman for them...

Speed limits on the streets involved are 40 and 45.

Nothing was stripped off the street, this was done to brand new asphalt.

No sidewalks on either street. Basically a rural/residential area with some local business uses on the corners: gas station, strip retail, coffee shop and church.

I will try to get a picture soon.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

To me this is just more taxpayer dollars to "save us from ourselves". Safety has become an out of control byword in many industries because of liability.

This doesn't relate to the paving job, but the interesting part of the liability culture is that the markup on new items is based on percentage a lot of the time. The more safety equipment that can be added to an item the higher the profit margin.
Follow the dollars.

 

[jyoutz]

Those engraved rumble strips hold water and the freeze/thaw in the winter creates potholes.

 

[Runner]

Here is a piccy:

Here is what I think is going on. These streets have been here forever and the driveways of the businesses on the four corners are not built to current standards, i.e., they are very close to the intersection. I don't think this is because of the intersection, I think this is intended (somehow) to keep people going through the intersection from running into people pulling out of the adjacent drive approaches from the businesses.

Only thing I can come up with.

Or, maybe braille for blind drivers....

OK, one more thought - if you look close at the pic. you can see tire marks where rednecks and kids like to do donuts in the intersection. Maybe they're trying to prevent that.

 

[paulsharvey]

Just looking at the picture; it's all past the stop bar, so maybe it's a unique/test to keep people from proceeding into the intersection past the stop bar?


Edit; closer inspection, I would almost put money on it being a wrong way driver alert system. See how it's not crossing the exit to the intersection for the call it west bound, traffic. If I had to guess; t
with as wide as the asphalt is, with not traffic separator or gour area, they must have had problems with left turns and straight through using it like a 4 lane intersection

 

[Runner]

they must have had problems with left turns and straight through using it like a 4 lane intersection

That definitely happens, especially in the direction the photo is taken. The road is two lanes, plus a left turn lane in the middle. The straight lane is really wide and people are always "lane sharing" the straight lane to turn right.

Don't see how the texture would help that situation?

 

[paulsharvey]

That definitely happens, especially in the direction the photo is taken. The road is two lanes, plus a left turn lane in the middle. The straight lane is really wide and people are always "lane sharing" the straight lane to turn right.

Don't see how the texture would help that situation?

It would alert people that they aren't where they are supposed to be. Same deal really as Rubble strips at a center yellow or white edge line; "hey, dumby, you're leaving your lane"