By Jay Taylor | InMaricopa
The Arizona Department of Transportation, which is studying methods for improving traffic flow at the State Route 347/Interstate 10 interchange, is proposing a diverging-diamond interchange.
The decision would have a huge impact on Maricopans, especially those who commute to the Valley daily for work, when morning and afternoon rush-hour traffic backups can be painfully slow.
According to ADOT, with a diverging-diamond interchange both directions of traffic on the non-freeway road cross the freeway just as they do with a conventional interchange. What is unusual, though, is that traffic on the freeway overpass (or underpass) is briefly directed to the opposite side of the road. The crossover “X” sections can be managed with traffic lights or one-side overpasses to travel above the opposite lanes without stopping, the latter allowing nonstop traffic flow when traffic is sparse.
