What is ICE?
Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE) is a transparent process for evaluating and selecting intersection and interchange control. The ICE process is being adopted to make sure that intersection investments across the Texas highway system are evaluated, selected, prioritized, and implemented with defensible benefits for safety and congestion relief.
According to the TxDOT 2022-2027 Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), 32 percent of fatal and serious injury crashes are intersection related. ICE promotes the consideration of under-utilized intersections, such as roundabouts and restricted crossing u-turns (RCUTs), that reduce the number and severity of conflict points, which directly results in significant reductions in fatal and serious injury crashes.
The ICE process produces a selection of intersection types with various tradeoffs between performance measures such as operations, safety, cost, and impacts. Among the viable intersection and interchange types, the chosen control should be one with the highest expected safety performance that reduces fatal and serious injury crashes.
Alignment with TxDOT policies and commitments
The ICE process is in alignment with TxDOT policy and commitments, specifically the TxDOT 2022-2027 Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), Vulnerable Road User Assessment, the Texas Transportation Plan (TTP) 2040 as adopted by the Texas Transportation Commission, the 2025-2029 TxDOT Strategic Plan, and the proposed Statewide Long-Range Transportation Plan (Connecting Texas 2050). These safety and planning documents reinforce that every project is a safety project. The following are relevant correlations between ICE and the SHSP, TTP 2040, TxDOT Strategic Plan and Connecting Texas 2050:
| 2022-2027 Texas Strategic Highway Safety Plan | Vision Mission Emphasis Area |
| Texas Transportation Plan (TTP) 2040: Goal Area – Safety | Reduce fatalities and serious injuries. Eliminate conflicts between modes wherever possible. |
| 2025-2029 TxDOT Strategic Plan | Goal #1 Goal #3 Goal #6 |
| Connecting Texas 2050 | Plan Goal Objective |
| Roadway Design Manual, Appendix E, December 2022 | A data-driven, performance-based framework and approach to objectively screen intersection alternatives and identify an optimal geometric and control solution for an intersection. |
Considerations for ICE
Scalability
ICE is scalable, meaning the corresponding level of effort for screening and analysis should be proportional to the magnitude and nature of the project, i.e., less effort for simple projects, more effort for complex projects. Refer to the TxDOT Traffic and Safety Analysis Procedures (TSAP) Manual for examples of single location and corridor ICE reports and outlines.
Relationship to the Safer by Design Scoring Tool
The ICE process does NOT supersede, change, or impact the requirements of the Safer by Design Scoring Tool. The purpose of the scoring tool is to maximize the safety of the chosen intersection configuration and should therefore be used immediately after the ICE is complete, and before the project advances into detailed design, to provide maximum flexibility for incorporating safer design elements.
Reporting and documentation
Form 1002 will be updated to include a yes/no check on ICE and will require that ICE documentation be attached to Form 1002 submittals. The Design Summary Report (DSR) will be updated to include a section on intersection control selections and justifications.
Learn more about ICE
Upcoming training
Design Division, in partnership with FHWA, will be providing ICE informational webinars and ICE training from July through November 2024. Trainings will be available both virtually and in-person at various locations throughout the state. On-demand, district-specific training is available upon request.
Sign-ups for webinars and trainings will be distrbusted to districts.
| July | Informational webinars July 11, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. July 15, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. July 17, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. |
| August | In-person training in Houston District August 27-28, 2024 |
| September | In-person training in Lubbock District September 18-19, 2024 |
| October | Virtual training October 23, 2024 |
| November | In-person training in Waco District and at Stassney Austin/Stassney: November 6-7, 2024 Waco: November 19-20, 2024 |
| Beyond | E-learning and instructor-led classes through PeopleSoft (internal only) |
Additional resources
- TxDOT Traffic and Safety Analysis Procedures (TSAP) Manual
- TxDOT Design Division Website
- FHWA Intersection Control Evaluation
Contact us
innovative.intersections@txdot.gov
