TR9701-CS 970523Bverdrup
Ciwl, Inc. - Dallss, Texas Office
8150 N. Central Expy + Suite M-1150 + Dallas, TX 75206 + Tele: (214) 696-3433 · Fax: (214) 696-3499
TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM
TO:
FROM: Jeremy Wyndham
Gerry de Camp
Tony Tramel DT&A
COPY: Kathy Mullins
Jesse Hembree
SUBJECT:
City of Irving
City of Irving
Irving Mall Traffic Operations
May23, 1997
Sverdmp Civil, Inc. visited the Irving Mall area on Saturday, May 10, 1997 to observe weekend
traffic patterns and operations. The purpose of the trip was to determine what improvements can be
recommended to improve traffic flow in the area.
As previously discussed in progress review meetings, there are several problem areas in the
immediate vicinity of the Belt Line Road / SH 183 interchange. The problem areas and possible
solutions are discussed in this memorandum.
Belt Line Road / SH 183 Westbound Frontage Road (westbound approach):
This intersection is very congested on a Saturday. Without modifications that improve the capacity
at this intersection, progression along this section of Belt Line Road on a Saturday would be difficult
if not impossible m implement. One of the problems is related to the heavy volume of traffic on the
westbound frontage road, which is currently served by only three lanes (right, right/through, and
left/through). On a Saturday afternoon, the right-mining traffic volume is 664 vehicles per hour.
The right-turning traffic is not able to take full advantage of the dedicated right-turn lane due to sight
distance problems.
The addition of one dedicated right-turn lane and the reassignment of the right/through lane to
through only would provide additional capacity to the right-turning movements. Furthermore, a
"right-turn overlap" phase that allowed protected right-tums during a time when the northbound
traffic was stopped would further increase the right-turn capacity at the intersection.
Belt Line Road / SH 183 Westbound Frontage Road (northbound approach):
There is currently a dual left-mm lane that serves the heavy left-mm movement at this location.
However, there is an entrance to the Irving Mall parking lot just downstream of the intersection. For
this reason, the outside of the two northbound left-mm lanes is more heavily used than the inside,
thus diminishing the capacity of the dual left-turn lanes. If the first driveway to the Irving Mall
parking lot were closed or modified to allow exiting traffic only, the entrance downstream would
provide more space for the two lanes to merge prior to the entrance, thereby encouraging more
evenly utilized northbound dual left-turn lanes.
Belt Line Road / Irving Mall Entrance:
The northbound left-turn volume is very heavy at this intersection. The southbound through
movement on a Saturday is relatively heavy but platooned. The queues in the left-tm lane
frequently spill out into the northbound through lanes, detrimentally affecting that capacity as well.
Pavement on Belt Line Road is available for a dual left-mm northbound, but the mall entrance is not
wide enough for two inbound lanes. To date, Irving Mall has been unwilling to improve the entrance
to provide two inbound lanes onto their site, due to the cost and the loss of parking capacity
associated with the improvements. Unless this improvement on the Irving Mall land is implemented,
the dual left-mm northbound on Belt Line Road can not be used.
One solution at this intersection that would allow an increase in capacity for the northbound left-mm
traffic is to provide a protected northbound left-mm phase twice during a given cycle, once prior to
the Belt Line Road through phase and once at the end of the Belt Line Road through phase. The
southbound left-mm would be serviced during the first of these phases. Due m the observed
characteristics of the southbound traffic, this type of plan is not expected to seriously degrade the
southbound through capacity. An added benefit to double service for the northbound left-turning
traffic is the need to service the traffic that comes straight through northbound at the SH 183
westbound frontage road separately from the westbound right-tm traffic at the same intersection.
Another possible option that would be more mdicai and require agreement fi'om Irving Mall would
be to convert the outbound left-mm lane to inbound and redirect the left-turning traffic to use
Grande Bulevar. This plan would allow both of the northbound left-tm lanes to be used without
any significant capital expenditure or loss of parking capacity on the part of Irving Mall.
To provide the most capacity for the northbound left-mm movement at this location, these solutions
could be combined, providing both a dual left-mm lane and double service to that movement.
DALLAS COUNTY
CMAQ PROGRAM
PROJECT REVIEW MEETING 4
SVERDRUP CIVIL, INC.
PROJECT #75
SIGN-IN SHEET
MAY 23, 1997
Tony Tramel DeShazo, Tang & Assoc. (214) 748-6740
Atul Patel City of Coppell (972) 304-3682
Per Birdsall City of Coppell (972) 304-3545
Brem O. Adams City of Coppell (972) 304-3550
Jim Driscoll City of Irving (972) 721-2646
Kathi Mullins City of Irving (972) 721-2646
Jesse Hembree City of Irving (972) 721-2291
Mark Goode Sverdrup Civil, Inc. (214) 520-2116
~Yeremy Wyndham Sverdrup Civil, Inc. (214) 520-2116
Gerry de Camp Sverdrup Civil, Inc. (702) 378-3425
Ivan Nicodemus Parsons Brinckerhoff (214) 747-6336 ext. 26
Karen Jones Parsons Brinckerhoff (214) 747-6336 ext. 25
Jim Bernier Parsons Brinckerhoff (214) 747-6336 ext. 31
James Allen ARS Engineers (214) 747-6336 ext. 30
Don Cranford Dallas County (214) 653 -7151
Moosa Saghian TxDOT (214) 320-4435