The Traffic Group's Diverging Diamond Interchange Concept, Located at MD 295 and Arundel Mills Blvd, Will Be First in Maryland

BALTIMORE--One of the nation’;s top traffic engineering and transportation planning firms, The Traffic Group, Inc. (TTG), has designed the concept for Maryland’;s first Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) as part of a plan developed to address off-site traffic improvements for the Arundel Mills Casino.

“We are thrilled to be able to develop the concept for the first DDI in Maryland”

Commissioned by The Cordish Companies, The Traffic Group’;s plan focused on the redesign of MD 295 and Arundel Mills Boulevard to create better operations and increased capacity for when the casino opens. The DDI is scheduled to open in October 2012, in time for the opening of the new Arundel Mills Casino. In this particular case, the DDI design is in place of existing roundabouts.

“We are thrilled to be able to develop the concept for the first DDI in Maryland,” said Wes Guckert, PTP, President of The Traffic Group. “DDI designs minimize signal phases while more effectively serving left turning motorists. In addition, it eliminates the need for exclusive left turn lanes, significantly reducing project cost.”

The majority of DDIs can accommodate twice as many left turns per hour compared to traditional interchange designs. In addition, a typical DDI eliminates traditional left-hand turns, meaning the DDI has far fewer points at which vehicle paths intersect. This lessens the chances of a “T-bone” accident since cars no longer have to cross in front of lanes with oncoming traffic.

Continues Guckert, “The combined safety and financial benefits of the DDI make this design an appealing interchange alternative -- we will continue to see more and more DDIs developed in Maryland and across the country.”

Construction design plans are being undertaken by McLaren Engineering Group.

The first DDI opened in 2009 in Springfield, Missouri and six months after completion, officials reported a 50 percent drop in accidents.

Currently, there are five operational DDIs in the U.S. with 14 new DDIs either under consideration or being designed.

To get a better sense of how a Diverging Diamond Interchange operates, view a simulation on The Traffic Group’;s YouTube site: Youtube

About The Traffic Group

Established in 1985, The Traffic Group, Inc. is a veteran-owned traffic engineering and transportation planning specialty firm headquartered in Baltimore County, Maryland. The firm also has offices in Arkansas, New York, Texas, and Virginia as well as on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The company provides consultation on all aspects of projects dealing with the movement of vehicles and pedestrians, including traffic engineering and transportation planning studies, expert testimony, roadway and parking lot design, and data collection services. For more information about The Traffic Group, visit the company’s website at Traffic Group .