REAL OBSERVATIONS AND SIMULATION OF FREEWAY MERGING TRAFFIC AT BAGHDAD CITY

Abstract

Freeway merging sections represent the sources of vehicles entering along freeways and the sources of some of the complicated interactions between merging and the freeway traffic. Therefore such merging sections are considered as an important part of the freeways. This paper abstracts some traffic characteristics at merging locations using video recordings and a speed gun device at Baghdad city. The selected parameters include estimating of lane distribution of the freeway traffic at merging location, types of merging (normal, forced and cooperative) and merging distance. The observed data have been used to develop a simulation model for such locations using PARAMICS micro-simulator. The model has been calibrated and validated based on the available data. The results suggested the ability of the developed model to represents real traffic conditions and therefore the model has been used to examine some traffic management controls. The observed data suggested that the force merging is the dominated type in the case of small available gaps.