The Project
To address severe congestion and traffic safety issues, RK&K provided engineering services to improve the intersection of Pelham Road at Haywood Road. During the project’s first phase, RK&K provided traffic engineering services, including detailed crash analysis, traffic forecasting, and operational analysis. These efforts identified several critical safety and operational challenges:
- The crash analysis identified a series of rear-end and angle crashes at the intersection, with the majority of crashes resulting in property damage only.
- The existing conditions operational analysis indicated that the intersection operated at LOS E during the PM peak hour, and the traffic forecasting effort projected a 2.5% annual compounded growth rate over a 25-year period. RK&K coordinated with stakeholders, including the SCDOT Planning Office, to obtain concurrence on the projected growth rates.
- The No-Build operational analysis indicated substantial delays and queue lengths exceeding 3,000 feet at the intersection.
RK&K developed and evaluated several intersection improvement alternatives, including innovative intersection concepts such as a Continuous Flow Intersection (CFI), a quadrant intersection, and a median U-turn.
During the next phase of the project, RK&K developed conceptual designs, cost estimates, and a benefit-cost analysis to identify the preferred alternative. RK&K also prepared a comprehensive report summarizing all project activities and findings, positioning SCDOT to advance the preferred alternative into final design. Throughout the project, RK&K supported SCDOT’s project management team with stakeholder engagement efforts, including coordination with the Greenville-Pickens Area Transportation Study (GPATS) and the City of Greenville.
