CONVENTIONAL ROUNDABOUTS: THEIR EFFECTIVENESS AS

ROAD INTERSECTION CONTROL

Y.A. Abdul Kareem
Civil Engineering Department,
University of llorin,
llorin. NIGERIA.

ABSTRACT
The at- grade intersections form over 90% of the road network systems in the nation's highway
system. Of these intersections, the conventional roundabout is one of the most effective, efficient
and safe intersections found in urban areas the aim of this paper is to study three of such
conventional roundabouts in llorin City of Kwara State. Their capacities, delay to motorists and
average speed of vehicles in the periphery of the roundabouts were measured in order to find
how efficient and effective they are. The paper finally suggests ways and means of redesigning
them for better and safer performance.
Keywords: Roundabout, Effectiveness, Management, Control.
INTRODUCTION
At a multi-arm road junction where traffic flows are low. Traffic control may be achieved by
the priority type of control the form of priority control in this country is that minor road traffic
gives way to major road traffic. When traffic flow increases, delays are experienced at such
a priority type of intersection and at high flows, other forms of traffic control devices become
necessary in this country, most multi-arm road intersections with high traffic volume are
controlled by the rotary type of intersection popularly known as the roundabout.
TYPES OF ROUNDABOUTS
There are generally five types of roundabouts and these are:
a) Conventional Roundabout which is composed of a circular or asymmetrically large
central island usually more than 25 meter diameter around which there is a one-way
carriageway with weaving sections. The carriageway may or may not have flared approaches
b) Small Roundabout: With a one-way circulatory carriage-way round a small central
island less than 25 meter diameter with flared approaches
c) (c)Mini Roundabout: This is a roundabout with one way carriage way around a flush or
slightly raised circular island less than four meters diameter with or without flared approaches
(d) Double Roundabout: An individual junction with two small or mini roundabouts either
contiguous or connected by a short link road.
(e) Multi Roundabout: An individual junction with three or more small or mini roundabouts
either contiguous or inter connected by short link roads.

GENERAL DESIGN FEATURES

The primary design areas are to provide the following features:
(a) Adequate entry width
(b) Adequate circulation space compatible with the entry width.
(c) Central island of diameter sufficient only to give drivers guidance on the maneuvers
expected.
(d) Deflection of traffic to the right of entry to promote gyratory movement.
(e) Adequate deflection of crossing movements to ensure low traffic speed
(f) A simple clean and conspicuous layout
At all roundabouts, particularly those on high speed roads, traffic is slowed down so that under
all flow conditions, vehicles traverse the junction at a safe speed This can be achieved by
ensuring that crossing movements at the junction are deflected so as to eliminate straight
through paths. It is also important that the layout and signing should make drivers aware of the
junction. The need to reduce speed and give way to traffic on left also is important.
The main purpose of this paper is to ultimately design conventional roundabouts, which are
commonly used in Nigeria, with a view to improving (her capacity.
LITERATURE REVIEW
O' Flaherty (1974) stated that the main factors controlling the capacity of a conventional
weaving section are the geometric layout which includes the entrances and exits and the
percentage of composition of the weaving traffic. According to Blackmore (1963). the maximum
flow through a weaving section at speeds between 14.5 and 24 km/hr is given by
Qm = (35w(1+e/w)(1-p/3)}/(1+w/l)
Eqn (1)
Where:
Qm = max flow in dry weather pcu/hr
w = width of section (6.1-18.3m)
e

= average entry width (0.12w-0.13w)m

p = ratio of weaving traffic / total traffic varying between .4 and 1.0

I = length of section (0.76w-2.5w)
The design capacity should be taken as 80% of the value computed by the equation to
avoid overloading of a weaving section during periods of high unstable traffic flow. The
possible capacity during wet weather is about 10% lower (Salter. 1978). The above factors
should be applied after the following corrections have been made
( 1 ) The computed capacity should be reduced by 16% when more than 300 pedestrians per
hour cross the exit road from the section being considered
(2) Reduce the calculated capacity by 5% if the existing vehicles have to turn through an
angle greater than 75 degrees when leaving the weaving section and by 2.5% if the existing angle
is between 60 and 75 degrees
(3) reduce the calculated capacity of the preceding section by 5% if the angle of the section
being studied is less than 15 degrees.
(4) if the angle of entry is between 15 and 30 degrees reduce by 2.5%
According to research carried out by Wohl and Brian (1967). it was found that capacity should be
taken as 85% of the calculated capacity. They also used the formula below (Eqn. 2) to
determine what they called practical capacity QP where QP is given as:

Qp = {160w(1 + e/w)}/ (1 + w/2) vph

...Eqn (2)
This practical capacity is said to be valid under conditions when.
(a) there

are

standing

vehicles

on

the approaches to the roundabout

(b) the site of the roundabout is level and approach gradients do not exceed 4%.
The formula is based on observations of actual roundabouts. The variables fell within
the ranges indicated below:
W
= 9.1m - 18.0m
e/w = 0.63-0.95
w/l
=0.38-061
e1/e2 = 0.34 - 1.14
For conventional roundabouts, Wohl and Brian prescribed the following requirements:(a) The weaving sections should be adequate for capacity
(b) The central island should be simple geometric figures e.g. circles or ellipses.
c) Entries may be widened for multiple vehicle entry.
d) Prevention of excessive vehicle speed on weaving lengths.
(c) W idening on cur ves should be recommended to assist the average vehicle.
VOLUME STUDIES
Traffic volume studies were carried out at three of the roundabouts in llorin City, capital of
Kwara State . These are the Geri Alimi Roundabout. Post Office Roundabout and Jebba Road
Roundabout.
The Geri Alimi Roundabout is a four-arm roundabout with a large circular central island.
The Jebba Road Roundabout is a three-arm roundabout with a very large elliptical central
island.
The Post Office Roundabout is also a four-arm intersection with a large circular central island
Each of the roundabouts is the conventional type. All the arms of both the Post Office and
Jebba Road Roundabouts are dual carriage ways. Only one arm of Geri Alimi roundabout is
dual carriage way. The other three are single carriage ways.
Manual counting method was used for the volume studies and every vehicle that passed a
fixed point on each arm of the intersections was counted. The vehicles were classified into
three groups viz.:
1) light vehicles - cars taxis, motorcycles and light commercial vehicles
with four road wheels < 15kN
2) Public service vehicles - buses and coaches of 6 road wheels.
3) Heavy goods vehicles : vehicles having 6 or more road wheels and over 15KN unladen
weight.

Fig. I: Geometric Parameters Studied

Figure 1 shows a section of a roundabout depicting the geometric parameters considered

in the write-up. The figure shows only 2 arms of a typical multi-arm roundabout with the
entry and exit vehicles channelized. A weaving section is also shown with the weaving
length and I and w respectively.

TABLE 1: FLOW FOR GERI ALIMI ROUNDABOUT

I

From Air port to Asa

Dam Road

20

4.75

7.3

0.52

2583

2066

From Asa Dam Road

to Umar Saro Road

20

5.11

7.3

0.49

2693

2154

From Umar Saro Road

to Adewole Road

18

5.69

7.3

0.95

2219

1775

Road Arm

Qm

QP

From Adewole Road

To Air Port Road

5.84

18

0.84

7.3

2376

1900

TABLE 2: FLOW FOR JEBBA ROAD ROUNDABOUT

Road Arm

Qm

QP

Fate Road to Jebba

Road

27

5.32

7.6

0.60

2859

2258

Jebba Road to
Muritala Moh Road

77

4.75

7.3

1.00

2695

2156

Muritala Moh. Road

to Fate Road

18

5.84

7.3

0.60

2640

2112

TABLE 3: FLOW FOR POST OFFICE ROUNDABOUT

Road Arm

Q...

QP

From Emirs Road to

Bank Road
From Bank Road
to Sulu Gamban
Road
From Sulu Gamban
Road to Muritala
Moh Road
From Jebba Road
to Emirs Road

34

4.7

7.3

0.58

2837

2270

41

5.7

7.3

060

31 19

2495

34

4.8

7.3

0.80

2588

2070

30

5.1

7.3

040

3082

2466

TABLE 4:

DELAY STUDIES

ROUND- ABOUT

ARM OF INTER- SECTION

AVG DELAY (Sec./

veh)

TOT. AVG DELAY

(Sec./ veh )

Gen Alimi

Umar Saro Rd
Asa Dam Rd
Airport Rd
Adewole Rd

4.20
5.70
7.00
9.90

6.70

Post Office

Muritala Moh. Rd.

4.20
8.60
9.20
10.70

8.20

Emirs Rd.
Bank Road
Sulu Gamban Rd
Muritala Moh Road
Jebba Road
Fate Road

5.80
4.20
3.60

4.57

Jebba Road

The data collected during the peak periods were used to obtain Tables 1-3 for each of
the roundabouts using Eqn. 3 below.
Qmax = 354w(1+e/w)(1-p/3)/ (1+w/L)
...Eqn. (3)
to determine the maximum flow Qmax and then later determine the practical capacity Qp.
From the tables it can be seen that the highest flow occurs at the Post Office Roundabout with
9301 vph. The roundabout with the least volume out of the three studied is Jebba Road
Roundabout with hourly volume of 6526 vph.
SPEED STUDIES
Speed studies were carried out at the entry points and at the circular sections of
the roundabouts. Speed here means spot speed which is defined as the instantaneous speed
of a vehicle at a specified location as indicated by the speedometer. This is used to
determine the effect of a particular traffic flow constriction such as a roundabout
The mean speed values at the entry points and round the circular portions of Geri Alimi
Roundabout are 30km/hr and 18km/hr respectively. For Jebba Road Roundabout, the
corresponding values are 45km/hr and 25km/hr while those for the Post Office Roundabout are
28km/hr and 15km/hr respectively.
DELAY STUDIES
Delay to vehicles at roundabouts are of two types.
(a) Delay caused by going down to negotiate the roundabout by traveling the extra
distance and by accelerating to normal speed
(b)
Delay caused by interaction with other vehicles using the roundabout (i.e. Delay
for queuing and weaving action)
Delay studies were carried out on the three roundabouts. Table 4 shows the average
delay to all vehicles from each of the approaches. The average delay values for each of the
arms of the roundabouts are generally low. The lowest occurring

at Fate Road on Jebba Roundabout i.e. 3.6 sec./veh with max flow of 2859 vph. The highest
delay value occurred on Sulu Gambari Road at the Post Office Round about with maximum flow
of 2588 v.p.h The Roundabout with the lowest average delay per vehicle was Jebba Road
Roundabout with average delay of 4 50secs/veh and total capacity of 6526 vph While the highest
average delay per vehicle of 8.20sec/veh was experienced at the Post Office Roundabout with
total capacity of 9301 vph This was expected because of the volume of traffic using the
roundabout, the proximity to railway crossing and high pedestrian activity
CONCLUSION
Three traffic parameters: volume, speed and delay for three to four roundabouts in llorin
town were considered. The capacity of the Post Office Roundabout 9301 vph. was found to be
the highest.
This roundabout, i.e. the Post Office Roundabout, recorded the highest delay of 8.2 sec per
vehicle With the minimum entry speed (28km/hr) and weaving speed (15km/hr) the
Post Office Roundabout poses a potential bottleneck to traffic and motorists alike. Future
studies on this roundabout should look at the possibility of widening the entry and exit arms of
the roundabout This is with a view of increasing the capacity and further reducing the delay to
traffic. It is suggested that other types of roundabout e.g. the small roundabout or the mini
roundabout should be introduced on experimental basis for a number of months. It is noteworthy
that the roundabouts are cost effective in the sense that none of them needs to be manned by
any traffic warden.
REFERENCES
O' Flaherty C.A (1974): Highways & Traffic. Edward Arnold Publishers. London.
Blackmore F.C. (1963): Priority at Roundabouts. "Traffic Engineering and Control". Vol. 5.
No 2. pp 104-106
Salter R.J. (1978): Highway Traffic Analysis and Design. Macmillan Press Ltd. New York
Wohl M . and Brian V.M. (1967): Traffic System Analysis for Engineers and Planners. McGraw
Hill BOOK Company. New York