Diverging Diamond Interchange Aims To Make I-70 Stretch Easier To Navigate
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WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) -- A diverging diamond interchange, the first in the state of Pennsylvania, is supposed to make getting around a stretch of Washington County a little easier.
The reason for the diamond crossover is simple.
"It's improving safety by reducing traffic contact points," Pa. Transportation Secretary Leslie Richards said.
Most of the accidents at the intersections before the change involved people making left turns across traffic, and as the healthy crop of "No Left Turn" signs would indicate, those turns are indeed gone.
"Traffic flow is also improved because the interchange can handle more vehicles," Richards said.
This may be Pennsylvania's first diamond crossover, but they are widely used in the Midwest and the accident statistic results could not be clearer.
"We can expect a 40 percent reduction in the overall number of crashes, but the big reduction is 72 percent in the right-angle crashes," PennDOT Dist. 12 Asst. District Executive Rachel Duda said.
In fact, since traffic started using the redesign last September, there has only been a single accident. Even with that success, drivers so far are giving it mixed reviews.
"This is different, yeah, and human beings I know hate change and hate unusual things, but this really works," Gov. Tom Wolf said.
PennDOT is considering a diverging diamond for the Route 51 intersection with I-70.
"That's going to be our first preferred alternative we look at," PenndOT Dist. 12 Executive Joseph Szczur said. "We're excited about it."
Southpoint and 79 is another candidate for a diverging diamond.
When asked if a diverging diamond would be appropriate at the always-congested Wexford I-79 interchange, Richards said, "It increases safety and it increases traffic flow, so it's absolutely something we will look at."