JUSTIFICATION OF DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TRANSPORT INTERCHANGE UNDER DENSE URBAN DEVELOPMENT CONDITIONS: THE CASE OF SHYMKENT CITY

Abstract

The selection of rational design solutions for grade-separated transport interchanges in dense urban environments remains a critical challenge due to spatial constraints, high traffic demand, and significant socio-economic impacts. The research focuses on a heavily loaded urban intersection formed by major arterial streets in the city of Shymkent, Kazakhstan, characterized by limited right-of-way and intensive traffic flows. The methodological framework integrates an analysis of international best practices in interchange design, field-based traffic surveys, assessment of planning and geometric constraints, and a comparative evaluation of alternative design layouts using technical, functional, and economic criteria. The results indicate that conventional multi-level interchange configurations may exhibit reduced effectiveness under constrained urban conditions due to localized bottlenecks, increased land requirements, and elevated construction costs. A comparative assessment of two design alternatives demonstrates that a compact multi-level solution incorporating an intermediate roundabout provides the most balanced performance, ensuring sufficient capacity under forecast traffic demand while minimizing impacts on surrounding development and reducing overall construction costs. The findings highlight the importance of a context-sensitive and integrated approach to interchange design, combining traffic efficiency with spatial feasibility and urban compatibility, and may be applied to the planning and reconstruction of transport nodes in rapidly growing cities with dense development patterns.