Pavement and Traffic Lights on Houbolt Road
Team Members Heading link
- Diana Arreola
- Evi Olldashi
- Jonathan Ortega
- Angel Salas
- Oliver Talag
Project Description Heading link
The Houbolt Road project consists of expanding and connecting the I-80 interchange/Houbolt Road across the Des Plaines River with a newly constructed bridge. The purpose of this bridge came to IDOT’s attention as this specific area in the city of Joliet is one of the largest inland ports in the nation. Consequently, this connection over the Des Plaines River would cause an increase in the average daily traffic, thus forcing higher volume and unwanted congestion across I-80 and Houbolt Road. The ADT at this intersection is expected to increase by 100% by the year 2040, which is a huge concern for all surrounding businesses. Similarly, IDOT expects this road to transition from a LOS of C to a LOS of F. Due to its location, the predicted increase in traffic from heavy vehicles is expected to wear out the existing pavement. Thus, the group decided to focus on the aspect of design pavement. Its purpose includes finding an adequate arrangement of layers that serves ongoing traffic and withstands various types of loadings. Another design objective is the road’s traffic signal times, which involve reducing the conflict points at the intersection. With the predicted higher volume of traffic due to the bridge across the intersection, improving traffic lights at the intersection will be critical. The third objective will be cost estimation, which will forecast the cost of materials, maintenance cost and other required resources. By taking into account these variables the group will determine the most durable and affordable design.