U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
Jeffrey Shaw
jeffrey.shaw@dot.gov
"Also Known As…"
Median U-Turn is sometimes called:
Restricted Crossing U-Turn is sometimes called:
Outreach & Education
Technical Materials
Other Resources
State & Federal Research
National Partners
Motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists face greater mobility challenges and safety risks at intersections as traffic volumes grow and congestion worsens. Agencies need safer, more balanced designs that keep people moving. Innovative intersection designs offer many safety and operational benefits, and are being built more often because they can deliver more for less. In the case of U-Turn-based intersection designs, certain movements that are higher risk – such as direct left-turns – are modified to a combination of right-turns and U-turns. The two most common forms of innovative, U-turn-based intersections are the Median U-Turn (MUT) and the Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT). The diagrams below illustrate the basic U-turn concepts. The figure on the left illustrates the MUT design, where Path A corresponds to the left turn from the major route to the minor route and Path B corresponds to the left turn from the minor route to the major route. The figure on the right illustrates the RCUT design, where Path A corresponds to a through movement along the minor route and Path B corresponds to the left turn from the minor route to the major route.
Innovative intersection designs succeed through reducing the number and severity of conflict points. The diagram below illustrates the difference in conflict points between a conventional, four-legged intersection and equivalent MUT and RCUT designs. There are 32 conflict points associated with a conventional intersection – 8 merging (or joining), 8 diverging (or separating) and 16 crossing. In contrast, there are 16 total conflict points at the MUT (4 crossing, 6 merging and 6 diverging) and 14 total conflict points at the RCUT (2 crossing, 6 merging and 6 diverging). Not only are conflict points reduced by half for the MUT and RCUT, the conflicts that remain are lesser overall severity – mostly the same-direction variety with less likelihood of severe injury.
| Vehicle-Vehicle Conflict Points |
Conventional | MUT | RCUT |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Crossing | 16 | 4 | 2 |
| Merging | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Diverging | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Total | 32 | 16 | 14 |
Because innovative intersections generally look or function differently from conventional designs, it is important for outreach and education to take place. These conversations begin by communicating the magnitude and importance of the intersection safety challenge. With roughly ¼ of all traffic fatalities in the United States associated with intersections, it is critical that safer designs are implemented as widely and routinely as possible. But safer designs must also keep people and goods moving. To help state and local road agencies advance innovative intersection designs, the FHWA produces materials intended to communicate their advantages and benefits to a variety of different audiences. These resources are conveniently listed and linked below:
Information Videos Informational Brochures Informational Case Studies Public Roads Magazine ArticlesMedian U-Turn Intersection Informational Guide (FHWA, 2014) [PDF]
Restricted Crossing U-Turn Intersection Informational Guide (FHWA, 2014) [PDF]
Median U-Turn Intersection Tech Brief (FHWA, 2009) [HTML] [PDF]
Restricted Crossing U-Turn Tech Brief (FHWA, 2009) [HTML] [PDF]
Alternative Intersections/Interchanges Informational Report (FHWA, 2009) [HTML] [PDF]
Synthesis of the Median U-Turn Intersection Treatment (FHWA, 2007) [HTML] [PDF]
Innovative Intersections – DLT/MUT/RCUT Informational Guides Webinar [Recording]
National Highway Institute Course #380109 "Alternative Intersections & Interchanges" [HTML] [PDF]
Capacity Analysis for Planning of Junctions (CAP-X) Tool [HTML] [Download]
Every Day Counts 2 – Intersection & Interchange Geometrics Initiative Resources
21st Century Solutions Handout [PDF]
Virtual Exchange for Local and Tribal Agencies (December 2013) [HTML] [Recording]
Transportation Research Board Alternative Intersection/Interchange Symposium Proceedings (via TeachAmerica) [HTML]
State Highway Agency Resources: Evaluation of J-turn Intersection Design Performance in Missouri, Final Report (Missouri, 2013) [PDF]
Development of Guidelines for Operationally Effective Raised Medians and the Use of Alternative Movements on Urban Roadways (Texas, 2013) [PDF]
Field Evaluation of Restricted Crossing U-Turn Intersection (FHWA, 2012)
Improving Intersection Design Practices (Kentucky, 2011) [PDF]
An Integrated Computer System for Analysis, Selection and Evaluation of Unconventional Intersections (Maryland, 2011) [PDF]
Median Intersection Design for Rural High-Speed Divided Highways (published as NCHRP Report 650, 2010)
Safety and Operational Impacts of Alternative Intersections (Indiana, 2008) [PDF]
Transportation Research Board Intersections Joint Subcommittee (AHB65(1)) Home Page [HTML]
