Continuous Flow Intersection sees first full day of traffic

NIXA, Mo. — If you happen to find yourself driving through Nixa this week, specifically on 160 near CC, you’ll come across the first-ever Continuous Flow Intersection (CFI) in MoDOT’s Southwest District.

What is a CFI?

MoDOT defines it as, “A continuous flow intersection has traffic turning left placed to the left of oncoming traffic, opposite where it is normally. This removes the conflict between on-coming traffic and traffic turning left. Vehicles turning left access the lane a few hundred feet in front of the intersection.”

OzarksFirst spoke to MoDOT to learn more.

“The left turn in traffic doesn’t have to cross oncoming traffic. It kind of eliminates a conflict point in the intersection, and because we do that away from the main intersection, it increases the green time on 160 northbound and southbound,” Jason Evenden said.

Drivers turning onto 160 will notice their turn lane basically becomes an outer road, where they’ll move onto 160 down the road.

“This would be the first one we have in our Southwest district. We do have some in Kansas City, and then it’s a pretty common solution in Utah and Louisiana,” Evenden said. “They’re having some success and Maryland and New York as well, using this style of intersection.”

Evenden says that a specific intersection sees around 40,000 cars a day.

“Historically, being a resident of the area, that left turn sees a lot of traffic,” Evenden said. “So not only are we correcting this green time and getting increased green time, we also have a lot of storage because we’re going to have dual lefts as part of that continuous lane.”

This isn’t the only part of the project for 160.

At 160 and AA, MoDOT is constructing a Continuous Green T intersection.

At that intersection, all northbound 160 traffic will not stop.

“That northbound traffic isn’t going to have to stop for a light. They’re going to have all green all the time. So they’ll be able to drive straight through,” Evenden said. “Before motorists had to stop going downhill, approaching that intersection, going northbound, but once we’re done and open on the continuous green intersection there, it’ll be green all the time for 160 northbound.”

Southbound drivers will have a light but drivers on AA will be able to use an outer road to go southbound on 160, but drivers wanting to go northbound from AA will have to wait for a light.

The project will also improve the bridge just north of the 160/AA intersection.

The owner of Bistro 160 says she’s happy to see the intersection open and what the overall project can bring to the area.

“We’re hoping it’s going to open up the area, bring more people, just better traffic flow, maybe just bring more people to the area because they can get in and get from Springfield the next so quicker,” Hernandez said.

While it’s no surprise the intersection will see some growing pains as drivers get used to the intersection, MoDOT officials expect drivers to get the hang of it fairly quickly.

“If folks approach the intersection, read the signs, look at the pavement markings, and try to make reasonable decisions and follow the lights, I don’t think we’ll have any unexpected events or anything like that,” Evenden said. “After a couple of days of commuters going through it, I think the day-to-day folks will really start to understand it pretty easily.”

“We’re hoping that this is going to improve, not as many accidents, but once again, as long as people put their phones down and pay attention to the new changes, we’re hoping that it will alleviate all those issues,” Hernandez said. “Give it a chance, you know, you never know. It might be a positive, but you have to have that positive attitude about it instead of going into it negatively, in my opinion.”

The intersection at 160 and AA is expected to be completed later this year.

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