Woodward Avenue and East Maple Road, Birmingham, MI 

MEDIAN U-TURN INTERSECTION 

THE PROBLEM 

“

A heavily traveled intersection 

servicing approximately 55,000 

vehicles per day experienced 

queued traffic and high rates 

of crashes among left turning 

vehicles. This was complicated 

by an adjacent intersection 

approximately 150 feet away. 

THE SOLUTION 

A Median U -Turn design that 

allows for efficient movement 

while reducing conflict zones 

and improving safety for 

pedestrians. 

THE OUTCOME 

⯀ More vehicles flowing freely 

along both streets and 

increased access to adjacent 

businesses. 

⯀ Brick truck aprons at 

the U -turns ensure easy 

movement of truck traffic. 

⯀ Signals changed to a two -

phase operation, giving 

more time for pedestrians to 

cross the intersection safely. 

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 

INTERSECTION LOCATION 

42°32’48.4”N 83°12’40.7”W 

The best thing about the 

Background 

”

MUT is that it ... frees up 

time for everybody to move 

through the intersection. 

The Woodward Avenue corridor is an 8-lane 

boulevard servicing approximately 55,000 

vehicles per day.1

 Stretching 27 miles from Detroit 

in the South to Pontiac in the North, it is one of 

the most heavily travelled roads in the greater 

Detroit area. Woodward Avenue was designated 

a “National Scenic Byway” in 2002 and an “All-American” road in 2009 by the Federal Highway 

Administration for its historic sites, culture, recreation, and heritage. 

— Joseph Hummer, Ph.D., P.E. 

Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering 

Wayne State University 

Challenges 

The intersection needed to accommodate high volumes of traffic while still functioning as 

a vibrant downtown of mixed-use commercial areas, residential neighborhoods, and heavy 

pedestrian traffic. Originally, Woodward Avenue’s wide median contributed to congestion. 

When two opposing vehicles wishing to turn left entered the intersection, the drivers often 

had difficulty maneuvering around each other, sometimes colliding head on or misjudging the 

other vehicle’s travel path and ending up in a side-swipe accident. In addition, an adjacent 

intersection is located only about 150 feet away at Park Street. 

Approach 

Michigan DOT (MDOT) relocated all 

left turns approximately 600-700 feet 

away from the signalized intersection using the Median U-Turn (MUT) 

design. This reduced the number 

of conflict points and provides time 

for through movements by vehicles 

and pedestrians. MDOT also added 

truck aprons to enable the trucks that 

frequent the corridor to safely deliver 

their goods to local businesses and 

coordinated the signal timing with the 

Park Street intersection. Truck Turning at the Median U-Turn 

Source: MUT Case Study Video FHWA-SA-14-051 

Results 

The Woodward Avenue and East Maple Road MUT intersection has reduced congestion at the 

signal, keeping more vehicles flowing freely along both streets, increasing access to adjacent 

businesses, and providing safer access to pedestrians and cyclists. The brick truck aprons at 

the U-turns also ensure easy movement of goods and cargo around the intersection. 

1 Michigan DOT, “2012 Average Daily Traffic (ADT) Map – Detroit Metro Area.” Available at: 

https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,4616,7-151-11151_11033-22141--,00.html 

www.safety.fhwa.dot.gov This Fact Sheet is a companion to the Video Case Study (FHWA-SA-14 -051) 

FHWA-SA-14-052 

Revised June 2020