Award of Merit: Highways/Bridges

The $5.6-million I-590 project created a diverging diamond interchange to reduce traffic congestion and accident occurrence in Rochester, N.Y. This design option was chosen over others—such as a cloverleaf, a single point urban interchange or building a new ramp from a service road—because it would improve car, bike and pedestrian safety. It would also take the shortest amount of time to build, required the least amount of real estate and offered the best value.

The diverging diamond interchange project accommodates left-turning movements at signalized, grade-separated interchanges of limited access highways such as I-590 and arterial highways such as Winton Road. It also eliminated the need for left turn signal phasing.

Crews widened the roadway first, while maintaining existing traffic patterns. The New York State Dept. of Transportation allowed closure of the roadway and interchange for one weekend for the team to put the new traffic pattern in place. When it reopened, construction and design staff was on hand to point people in the right direction.

Best Projects judges liked the team's logistical approach to the project, calling it "very accomplished."

Since completion, the interchange accident rate has dropped 38%, and its success has led other state DOTs to look at the diverging diamond interchange as a feasible option.

I-590 and Winton Road Diverging Diamond Interchange Project, Rochester, N.Y.

Key Players

Owner New York State Dept. of Transportation, Region 4

General Contractor Sealand Contractors Corp.

Lead Designer Erdman Anthony

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