Northbound I-95 Express Toll Lane

For Maryland Transportation Authority’s (MDTA) I-95 Express Toll Lane Northbound Extension, there are significant Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and All Electronic Tolling (AET) systems complementing the roadway improvements. These systems are critical to monitoring traffic operations, identifying and responding to incidents, maintaining safety and security, disseminating information to motorists, and collecting toll revenue. These ITS and AET systems are required for work associated with several planned construction contracts and potential park and ride facility contracts.

T3 Design is supporting the Express Toll Lane (ETL) program by preparing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) design plans for I-95, from MD 43 to north of MD 24. T3 is responsible for preparing ITS and AET conceptual design for the following segments:

1. Project-wide

2. Southern Portion (Northbound ETL lanes from existing ETL lane terminus to MD 152)

3. Middle Portion (Northbound ETL lanes within MD 152 interchange)

4. Northern Portion (Northbound ETL from MD 152 interchange to northern terminus north of MD 24)

5. Park and Ride Relocation (MD 152)

T3 is responsible for drafting and finalizing the communications overview plan for the project to detail how all ITS and AET devices will be connected to the communications infrastructure. They are developing communications plans that involve wiring details for the conduit contents to connect all ITS devices, gantry electrical diagrams, gantry electric service details, control plans, and generator details.

The plans include several toll gantries and 48-pair fiber, four-duct multi-duct conduit systems to create a physical redundant ring. T3 is developing final design plans, quantity summaries, and all required specifications.

ProjectWise is the platform used for design activities, and the design is developed using Bentley MicroStation.

I-95 and Route 123 (Exit 160) Interchange Improvements

This project is the first Progressive Design Build (PDB) project in Virginia, involving the selected Design-Build team in the very early stages of design. The project involves improvements at the I-95 Exit 160 interchange at Route 123 (Gordon Boulevard). For the first phase of the project, T3 was responsible for traffic data collection, screening analysis of alternatives, traffic operational and safety analysis, and preparation of an Interchange Access Report (IAR) for FHWA approval.T3 served as a traffic engineering subconsultant on this PDB project. T3 managed a large data collection effort involving peak hour turning movement counts and 48-hour automatic traffic recorder (ATR) counts at 31 locations. They prepared balanced traffic volumes to provide a baseline of existing conditions for the study area. They then evaluated traffic volume projections used by adjacent traffic studies and compared historical annual traffic growth with COVID-19, pandemic-related traffic changes to recommend future traffic volumes and analysis years. T3 met with both VDOT and FHWA to establish the projection methodology for approval, then developed design year forecasts.

T3 performed a scoping level traffic operational analysis to evaluate geometric, operational and constructability conditions in order to determine any design and operational elements required for the project. T3 analyzed traffic operations using Synchro, SimTraffic, and VISSIM. They analyzed safety by preparing Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) models for various design options to establish the preferred alternative.

T3 developed an Interchange Adjustment Report (IAR) for the modified access on both interstate and non-interstate roadways, including a complete alternatives analysis with identification of a preferred alternative in conjunction with the NEPA Document. The IAR required approval by both VDOT and FHWA, so T3 coordinated regularly with both agencies and prepared a progressive chapter submittal schedule to allow VDOT and FHWA to review sections about once per month in order to accelerate the approval process. T3 prepared an LD-459 Framework Document to detail the purpose and need, proposed measures of effectiveness (MOEs), and proposed methodology.

VDOT I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Expansion

T3 is providing professional engineering services for the landside portion of Virginia’s largest ever design build project on I-64 in the Cities of Hampton and Norfolk. The $3.3B Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion Project will ease congestion with the addition of twin 2-lane bored tunnels as well as widening of the 4-lane segments of the I-64 corridor. The project includes improvements to the I-64 corridor between Settlers Landing Road in Hampton and I-564 in Norfolk, adding a third lane and a drivable shoulder to I-64 in each direction that will be variably priced tolled lanes (HOT lanes).

In 2019, VDOT awarded the design build contract to Hampton Roads Connector Partners (HRCP), a joint venture consisting of multiple partners, with Dragados USA serving as lead contractor and HDR and Mott MacDonald as lead designers. As the traffic engineering subconsultant for HDR, T3 is responsible for supporting the team with traffic forecasting and analysis, signal design and an interchange modification report (IMR). T3 has prepared project wide traffic forecasts that are used to support several key project elements including noise analysis, roadway geometry and pavement design.

T3 has developed AM and PM balanced peak period volumes (5-hour periods) for existing, opening year (2025) build and no build and design year (2045) build and no build conditions. T3 has developed annual average daily traffic (AADT), percent heavy vehicles and directional flow for the design year. Future traffic volumes were based on the Hampton Roads 2045 travel demand model (TDM) and growth factors developed by T3 and approved by VDOT. These volumes include HOT and HOV volumes expected in the opening and design years. T3 is currently performing traffic analysis for daily, AM and PM weekday peak conditions using VISSIM for the current year, opening year and design year for the build conditions. This includes analysis of the acceleration, deceleration, merge, diverge and weave lanes including the entrance and exit from the HOT/part time shoulder lanes using both HCS and VISSIM.

T3 has also performed a safety analysis on crash data for corridor using crash data from 2016 through 2018 to determine hot spots and crash cluster locations. To support the project design exceptions and design waivers (DE/DW), T3 is performing traffic and safety analysis to ensure the proposed design will not result in negative safety impacts. For future conditions on roads that are not yet constructed, T3 used predictive crash methodology, including both IHSDM and ISATe modeling to determine the impacts at DE/DW locations.

T3 supported the noise analysis by preparing ENTRADA data sheets with 24-hour traffic volumes and heavy vehicle percentages that were used to compute the loudest hour memorandum to support the ongoing sound wall determination study. T3 is preparing an Interchange Modification Report (IMR) for the interchange of I-64 at Bayville Street/W Ocean View Avenue to demonstrate the proposed design will not adversely impact interstate traffic at or adjacent to the ramps.

T3 is preparing traffic signal design plans for two intersections on the project per the Technical Requirements. The two locations include intersection pairs at Mallory Street and Little Creek Road at their respective intersections with the I-64 EB and WB ramps. Temporary and final traffic signal plans will be completed together as one series to show the phased construction of signal equipment through each phase of construction, leading to the ultimate build-out plans. Signal timing plans will be developed for intersections included in the final and temporary signal design plans. T3 has coordinated with the Cities of Hampton and Norfolk to incorporate their signal design criteria and preferences are reflected in the design plans.