"J-Turns": The Appetizer Before The Main Course of I-49 South for Lafayette??

[Anthony_JK]

Seems like the LADOTD has found something to whet the appetites of Acadiana drivers on US 90 while they wait for I-49 South to be completed.

From their public meetings page:

DOTD to hold public meeting for U.S. 90 J-Turn projects in Lafayette Parish
Contact: Public Information Office, (225) 379-1232, FAX: (225) 379-1863
Friday, May 25, 2012

LAFAYETTE, La. — The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), announced today that it will conduct an open-house style public meeting to provide information on the current U.S. 90 J-turn projects, as part of the U.S. 90 widening project, from Pinhook to Broussard, in Lafayette Parish.

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Louisiana National Guard located at 1806 Surrey Street in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Representatives from DOTD will be in attendance to provide information and answer questions on the project. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity meet newly appointed District 03 Administrator Bill Oliver, as well as receive information on other projects in Lafayette Parish, such as the overall U.S. 90 widening project, from Pinhook to Broussard, future J-turn projects, I-49 South, the Scott Roundabout and other district projects.

As part of the U.S. 90 widening project, from Pinhook to Broussard, safety measures known as J-turns will be constructed along U.S. 90 between Pinhook Road and Albertson's Parkway. The J-turn design will safely and efficiently manage traffic and eliminate left-turn and through movements from side roads and driveways into crossovers. All vehicles will be forced to turn right and then U-turn at a median opening down the road. Additionally, this capacity project will widen U.S. 90 from four lanes to six lanes from Pinhook Road to Broussard.  Approximately 50,000 drivers a day travel on this portion of U.S. 90. Work on this 7.19-mile project began in late April 2010 and should be completed by fall 2012.

Now, there is already a J-turn (I guess that's LA's nomenclature for what others would call a "Michigan Left") in place on the Ambassador Caffery Parkway intersection with Chemin Metarie Road, but this will be a new thing for those who regularly drive on US 90...and I can already see some real issues. What about the frontage road that borders US 90 from Lafayette Regional Airport all the way to Broussard? Or, the T intersections with Verot School Road and LA 89, both of which also cross the BNSF/UP railway, which parallels US 90 for most of its length. And, what about the intersection with Albertson Parkway and St. Nazaire Road just south of Broussard?

Plus, there is already some grumbling from Broussard politicos about why Ambassador Caffery's getting a fresh new interchange with US 90, but they're being left out.

Not to mention, this will only fuel the fire of those in Lafayette who will say that this proves that the I-49 Connector will never be built, and that an alternative bypass to the east going through St. Martin Parish (the Teche Ridge Alternative) should be reconsidered as the means of connecting I-49 South with existing I-49.

Either way, Wednesday's meeting should be quite interesting.


Anthony

[swbrotha100]

Is a "J-turn" the same as, or similar to, a "Jersey jughandle" that's all over New Jersey?

[Anthony_JK]

Is a "J-turn" the same as, or similar to, a "Jersey jughandle" that's all over New Jersey?

Not quite...a "J-turn" (essentially, LA's vesion of a "Michigan Left") simply left-turn movements on a main highways to just past the cross-street intersection, using more traditional median-based lanes. There may also be wider bays at the turns for wider vehicles such as 18-wheelers.

That's different from a jughandle, in which left'turning traffic has to exit off the right lane and then turn left at the cross street.

[apjung]

Sometimes I wonder if the day comes when I-49 gets funded through Lafayette, will they have to go back and tear out all these interim improvements? This also goes for the section of I-49 slated to go through the empty median on the Westbank Expressway in Marrero and Westwego. Note that the trees that were planted and light poles installed in recent years in the median that will have to be removed.
http://goo.gl/maps/0XAze

[Revive 755]

Is a "J-turn" the same as, or similar to, a "Jersey jughandle" that's all over New Jersey?

Not quite...a "J-turn" (essentially, LA's vesion of a "Michigan Left") simply left-turn movements on a main highways to just past the cross-street intersection, using more traditional median-based lanes. There may also be wider bays at the turns for wider vehicles such as 18-wheelers.

That's different from a jughandle, in which left'turning traffic has to exit off the right lane and then turn left at the cross street.

I don't think your explanation is quite right.  The Wisconsin DOT has a nice little handout with a diagram:
http://www.dot.state.wi.us/projects/nwregion/53countyb/docs/jturnbrochurenw-final-web.pdf

[Road Hog]

Looks like J-turns are used to keep vehicles from directly crossing four or more lanes of traffic without building a full interchange. The problem is, though, you have slow cars changing lanes on the main highway in order to make the U-turn and that can be a hazard in itself.

[JREwing78]

Sure. At a certain point, the J-turn will become inadequate. But it's a relatively inexpensive stopgap that improves the most unsafe aspects of the intersection.

It allows for cars to cross one carriageway without having to wait for a car in the median to complete its crossing (the turn lanes have far more storage for turning and cross-traffic than before). With the storage available in the turn lanes, you can get more throughput of turning or cross-traffic during longer breaks in highway traffic. You eliminate the need to wait for traffic turning off the highway to proceed through the intersection.

The idea is that, with the J-turns, you've dispersed the risky activity over a larger area with somewhat safer maneuvers. It's no interchange replacement, but you can flow more traffic safely without having to resort to one.