US 17 Corridor, Wilmington, NC 

RESTRICTED CROSSING U-TURN INTERSECTION 

-

THE PROBLEM 

Conventional intersections 

along a major access route 

in coastal North Carolina 

were operating at maximum 

capacity, unable to support 

the mobility, safety, and 

economic development needs 

of the region. 

THE SOLUTION 

A series of six Restricted 

Crossing U-Turn intersections 

along a major regional arterial 

highway. 

THE OUTCOME 

⯀ Expected reductions in 

travel time — — 25 percent 

during peak hours and 20 

percent overall. 

⯀ Expected reductions in 

crashes — — an average of 46 

percent in total crashes and 

an average of 63 percent in 

injury crashes. 

⯀ Innovative design solution 

funded with private 

investment in the form of a 

public -private partnership 

between NCDOT and 

regional developers. 

CONTACT 

Jeffrey Shaw, P.E.

FHWA Office of Safety

202.738.7793 

jeffrey.shaw@dot.gov

Mark Doctor, P.E.

FHWA Resource Center 

404.895.6210 

mark.doctor@dot.gov

CORRIDOR LOCATION

34°12’49.88”N, 78°1’22.16”W 

FHWA-SA-14-066 Updated July 2020 

Background 

A four-lane divided expressway, US 17 is located near the coastline south of Wilmington, 

North Carolina. A major north-south highway, US 17 provides access to over 40 named 

beaches, the Hatteras National Seashore, and the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge in 

addition to serving key military bases, ports, and shopping centers. North Carolina DOT 

(NCDOT) has identified US 17 as one of the state’s Strategic Highway Corridors.

Challenges 

US 17 was a road with no signals and an average daily traffic (ADT) volume of about 28,000.1 

Developers were planning to build a discount super store and a large shopping center, spurring residential and economic growth 

in the area. However, the existing 

conventional intersections along the 

corridor near Wilmington and Leland 

already operated at capacity. They 

could not meet the mobility, safety, 

and economic development expectations of the region. 

“

”

I would consider this the perfect 

application of the [RCUT]. You have a 

strategic highway corridor carrying a lot 

of traffic, major developers ... adding 

a lot of traffic, developers looking at a 

grade-separated solution ... and then the 

[RCUT] comes in and accomplishes similar 

level of service ... at a fraction of the cost. 

Approach 

Local developers shared NCDOT’s

interest in improving and enhancing area roadways, so they formed 

a public-private partnership. Their 

combined resources allowed the installation of a series of six Restricted Crossing U-Turn 

(RCUT) intersections along US 17. Also known as Superstreets, these intersections were 

capable of handling nearly twice as much traffic as the original, conventional alternatives.

— Bastian Schroeder, Ph.D., P.E. 

Assistant Director, Highway Systems, ITRE, NC State University 

Results 

Users are realizing safety and mobility 

benefits on the entire corridor. At the 

Wilmington intersection, drivers are 

moving through the main intersection 20 

percent faster than before, even though 

ADT has increased to more than 42,000. 

Simulations of the whole corridor show 

a 25 percent decrease in travel times 

during peak hours. A study of North 

Carolina RCUT intersections shows 

average decreases of 46 percent in total 

crashes and 63 percent in injury crashes 

due to the RCUT design.2 

Vehicle Turning at an RCUT Intersection Along US 17 in NC 

Source: RCUT Video FHWA-SA-14-020 

1 North Carolina Department of Transportation, “2011 Annual Average Daily Traffic, Generated by the Traffic Survey Group, Transportation Planning Branch, Raleigh, Included in 

Wake County North Carolina.” Available at: https://xfer.services.ncdot.gov/imgdot/DOTTSUMaps/AADT_URBANS/RALEIGH_URBAN/2011/Sheet3.pdf

2 R. L. Haley, “Operational Effects of Signalized Superstreets in North Carolina,” (MS thesis,

North Carolina State University, 2010). Available at: http://repository.lib.ncsu.edu/ir/bitstream/1840.16/6112/1/etd.pdf www.safety.fhwa.dot.gov

This Fact Sheet is a companion to the Video Case Study (FHWA-SA-14 -065)