Abstract:
Each year the Department of Highways (DOH) has astronomical number of at-grade intersection required improvement physically and
operationally. Due to annual fiscal constraints, these projects are prioritized and ranked for the orderly implementation. However, the
DOH currently has not decree any systematical approach for these activities. Thus, each responsible agency has developed his criteria
for selecting factors, relevant weight, area-specific consideration, and including decision rule for prioritizing projects. Clearly, the decision
outcome is based on some ad hoc criteria and might not reflect the actual diagnose of intersection symptom. Importantly, the lack of
organizational integration in terms of project priority could lead to inconsistent and inefficient use of national budget.
The purpose of this study was to determine influencing factors and respective weights for prioritizing DOH at-grade intersection
improvement projects by using the Analytic Hierarch Process (AHP) approach. The database was constructed from questionnaires
filled by 13 experts with 10 years or more of experiences in the areas of design, construction, and planning. Three main factors
(i.e., Engineering, Environment, and Economics) and ten sub-factors of main factors were considered in the analysis. In terms
of main factors, the AHP results showed that Engineering factor is the prime consideration with approximate score of 66 percent
while scores of Environment and Economics are 19 percent and 15 percent, respectively. Accident, Physical geometry, and Traffic
Volume are three sub-factors received highest scores of 29 percent, 16 percent, and 15 percent, respectively.
The result from this study could be used as a preliminary guideline for developing systematic criteria for prioritizing at-grade intersection
improvement project. Importantly, the quantitative outcome from the AHP is apparently viable information for decision-making process to
efficient use of limited budget.