Traffic impact study New Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad

Abstract

Existing infrastructure and allied facilities at Islamabad International Airport are not consonant to the increasing demand of air passengers / traffic. Moreover, due to consistent land development and population increase in twin cities in general and in airport’s vicinity in particular, conduct of safe air operations and road traffic management around the airport, is likely to shape up as a highly intricate and complex matrix. While remaining cognizant of these prime and host of other factors, construction of New Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad (NBBIA) was conceived to be executed near Pind Ranjha, 30 km South West of the Capital city of Islamabad. NBBIA is proposed to be fully operational in year 2014 including the construction of a parking lot sufficiently large to serve all the NBBIA’s domestic, international as well as cargo traffic. This significantly very important land development in the twin cities is expected to effect a major transformation in the prevalent traffic patterns on the existing transportation infrastructure. Before the commencement of operations at the new airport, an incisive Traffic Impact Study (TIS) is deemed essential to highlight the forecasted capacity issues of existing transportation infrastructure resulting from the enhanced influx of traffic generated due to the construction of NBBIA so as to recommend viable traffic engineering solutions leading to a comprehensive Transportation Infrastructure Development Plan (TIDP). With this perspective in view, this project was undertaken to carry out the Traffic Impact Study for the construction of NBBIA. A pragmatic approach and chronological methodology was followed for the accomplishment of targeted objectives of this study / project. Using the standard methodology of Traffic Demand Analysis, (i.e. analysis of back ground traffic, trip generation, trip distribution and assignment) and incorporating the appropriate software (SIDRA Intersection 5.1 and LOSPLAN 2009) and utilization of HCM (Highway Capacity Manual) formulae / guidelines, capacity of existing transportation infrastructure was evaluated keeping in view following scenarios: (1) without development of NBBIA and without transportation interventions in year 2013 and 2014 (i.e., back ground traffic); (2) with development of NBBIA and without transportation interventions in year 2014; and (3) with development of NBBIA and with transportation interventions in the horizon year 2030. Impact area was first selected which comprised of major intersections and highway sections which are expected to receive major interventions in response to predictive / new generated traffic. Traffic data was collected on these selected intersections and highway sections to determine the background (existing) traffic / capacity. Having evaluated the background traffic and existing traffic patterns, the trip ends expected to be generated by the NBBIA were estimated using the developed regression model under the attire of analogy approach. The complete study area including the twin cities and neighboring cities was divided into different Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs). The generated trips were then distributed within these TAZs using the standard gravity model based on population and available routes / approaches from various zones to the impact area and vice versa. Later on, the trip interchanges were assigned to the routes within the impact area to and from TAZs in order to determine the traffic volume, directional movement and turning volume at the selected intersections and highway sections. Having superimposed the generated traffic on to the existing / background traffic on the select points in the impact area, traffic capacity (Level of Service - LOS) issues were then evaluated to highlight the need for interventions / improvemen