With the advancement of urbanization and the popularization of automobiles, the traffic load on urban roads is becoming increasingly heavy, resulting in many traffic problems. Road intersections serve as crucial linchpins in the urban transportation grid, wielding considerable influence over the overall traffic capacity of a city’s road network. Enhancing intersection efficiency and cutting down on delays stand at the heart of tackling urban congestion challenges. This study zeroes in on the crossroads where Xiyou Road intersects with Qianshan Road in Hefei City. Employing hands-on observation and photographic documentation, the research examines traffic flow and signal configurations during the peak demand period (7:30-8:30). The analysis evaluates traffic capacity and utilization rates for through, left-turn, and right-turn lanes at this intersection. Findings reveal that the right-turn lane at the southern entrance and the left-turn lanes at both northern and eastern entries show relatively low saturation levels, while the saturation of other lanes is greater than or close to 1. Therefore, this intersection does not have sufficient capacity. The actual traffic operation at the intersection, particularly during peak traffic times, is analyzed to identify the reasons for congestion Finally, improvement plans for optimizing traffic organization at intersections are proposed, such as optimizing signal timing schemes and transforming traffic channelization. Simulation analysis using VISSIM shows a 9.34% reduction in total intersection parking time, a 34.26% decrease in average queue length, and an 8.12% reduction in average vehicle delay. These results provide a reference for future optimization work, including intersection signal timing and channelization.