State Route 180 at Elwood Road - Fresno County

JLB Traffic Engineering, Inc. (JLB) was retained by the Salzburg Valley Tree Revocable Family Trust to prepare a Left-Turn Lane Warrant Analysis for the intersection of State Route 180 at Elwood Road in the Community of Squaw Valley. Mr. Jose Luis Benavides, P.E. was the project manager and traffic engineer of record on this project. This project included data collection, observation and estimation to complete the analysis.

Preparation of the Left-Turn Warrant Analysis involved two tasks. The first task included the collection of traffic counts, a speed radar survey and observation of the site during the highest peak hour for which the project was projected to be open. The second task involved the completion of the Left-Turn Warrant Analysis and preparation of a technical letter to present the findings and conclusions. The Left-Turn Lane Warrant Analysis was reviewed and approved as presented by Caltrans District 6.

JLB’s scope of work included the following:

• Collection of 24-hr volume counts for three consecutive days on State Route 180 near the vicinity of the project; the 24-hr volume counts were then utilized to determine the peak periods for the required Intersection Turning Movement Count (ITMC)
• Collection of a new 4-hr ITMC at the intersection of State Route 180 with Elwood Road during the highest two (2) AM and PM peak hours as determined from the 24-hr volume counts
• Collection of a speed survey for State Route 41 near the vicinity of the project
• Observation of traffic at the study intersection during the selected day of week and peak periods to support the findings of the Left-Turn Lane Warrant Analysis
• Estimation of future trip generation for the proposed project land uses based on information contained within the site plan, operational statement and data provided by the developer and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation reference and other trip generation sources readily available; the project’s trip generation was then assigned to the study intersection
• Completion of the Left-Turn Lane Warrant Analysis for the Existing and Exiting plus Project traffic condition scenarios utilizing the Hamerlink method as presented in AASHTO as requested by Caltrans District 6 staff