Operational Assessment of Roundabouts and X-Intersections in Urban Areas with Moderate Traffic and High Heavy Vehicle Volumes

Paula C.; Milagros C.; Alex S. · Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-24262-4_27

Resumen

The rapid expansion of vehicle fleets combined with inadequate intersection management in urban areas has exacerbated traffic congestion in many densely populated metropolitan cities. This issue is particularly evident in Latin American capitals, where mixed traffic and a significant proportion of heavy vehicles demand efficient roadway solutions. Within this context, strategic road planning becomes crucial, especially the assessment and selection of intersection design capable of handling moderate traffic volumes with heavy vehicles comprising approximately 15% of the flow. This study examines a port-adjacent urban zone characterized by a high presence of heavy vehicles and conducts a performance comparison between an existing roundabout and a conventional X-type intersection. A redesigned roundabout was proposed, optimized to fit the available space, and its performance was evaluated using micro-level traffic simulation. The results reveal that the roundabout demonstrates superior operational performance, achieving Level of Service (LOS) compared to LOS B for the X-type intersection, and significantly reducing delays to 1.49 s per vehicle versus 16.69 s per vehicle for the latter. These findings suggest that roundabouts may offer more effective traffic flow management in urban settings with moderate to high volumes of heavy traffic. The roundabout facilitates smoother heavy vehicle movement through the intersection, reduces queue lengths, and minimizes vehicular conflicts. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas