Trips where exiting and U-turning is the fastest route

[webny99]

What are some cases where taking a freeway exit and then getting back on in the other direction is the fastest way between two points? Sometimes this occurs when there's access points along a service road, like this one.

But what I'm mostly looking for here is examples that occur thanks to unusual ramp configurations or partial interchanges, such as this pair of examples surrounding the I-490/I-590/NY 590 interchange. I've noticed people exiting and reentering at both of these interchanges and it struck me as odd until I realized that, from certain starting points, that's the fastest way to get on the freeway going the other direction.

[interstate73]

Driving up I-287 northbound going to an office building near Lake Parsippany, it's equally fast to take the Parsippany Rd exit and loop around onto 287 south and take the Lake Parsippany exit as it is to exit on to NJ-10 west and turn right onto Ridgedale Ave.

[hbelkins]

Until a traffic signal was installed at the end of the ramp from I-64 eastbound to the US 460/KY 11 exit in Mt. Sterling, if you wanted to turn left toward Flemingsburg, it was faster to turn right and then U-turn at the next signal. Traffic on US 460/KY 11 was consistently heavy so as to greatly inhibit the ability to turn left onto westbound 460/northbound 11.

[webny99]

Driving up I-287 northbound going to an office building near Lake Parsippany, it's equally fast to take the Parsippany Rd exit and loop around onto 287 south and take the Lake Parsippany exit as it is to exit on to NJ-10 west and turn right onto Ridgedale Ave.

Great example! A little different than mine because it's an A/B exit configuration rather than an entirely separate exit, but still the type of thing I'm looking for.

[webny99]

Until a traffic signal was installed at the end of the ramp from I-64 eastbound to the US 460/KY 11 exit in Mt. Sterling, if you wanted to turn left toward Flemingsburg, it was faster to turn right and then U-turn at the next signal. Traffic on US 460/KY 11 was consistently heavy so as to greatly inhibit the ability to turn left onto westbound 460/northbound 11.

Wow, very surprising there was no signal there until recently. Not sure I've ever seen a double turn lane on a stop-sign controlled ramp!

[SEWIGuy]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Green+Bay,+WI/@44.4706715,-88.0338345,16.25z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x8802e2e809b380f3:0x6370045214dcf571!8m2!3d44.5133188!4d-88.0132958

On my morning commute, I exit WB 172 at the Webster St. / Riverside Drive exit (WI-57).  I have to go through the lights at Webster before I can access the ramp at Riverside.

The light at Webster is short for those exiting, so it can back up with traffic either turning left or going straight.  This happens particularly when the weather is bad.  Oftentimes when that happens, I will turn right on Webster, U-turn, then turn right on the ramp to Riverside.

[SEWIGuy]

Oh also, there are a few times when exiting a local gas station parking lot, that traffic backs up trying to take a left back onto the main drag.  I bypass all this traffic by turning right and using a roundabout a half block down.  I turn 360 degrees, and pass everyone still in line.

[Big John]

Oh also, there are a few times when exiting a local gas station parking lot, that traffic backs up trying to take a left back onto the main drag.  I bypass all this traffic by turning right and using a roundabout a half block down.  I turn 360 degrees, and pass everyone still in line.

turning 360 degrees?  That leaves you in the same direction.

[kphoger]

Before they rebuilt the Kellogg/I-235 interchange here in Wichita, I used to leave the westside mall, get on WB Kellogg, then do two loop ramps of the cloverleaf in order to head EB back home.

[jeffandnicole]

Southbound on the Garden State Parkway, Sea Isle City is Exit 17. Going North on the Parkway, there's no Exit 17. The signed exit is the previous exit (Exit 13), but takes you thru another slow-speed shore town. The fastest way is to enter the service plaza in the median just north of where Interchange 17 would be located, make a u-turn to enter the Parkway SB, and take Exit 17 there.

[kphoger]

Back when I lived in southern Illinois, I drove a janitorial supply deliver route in the area.  I usually ran my route counterclockwise, which had me coming south from Mount Vernon in the afternoon.  One of my regular customers was the Rend Lake rest area, whose supply shed was on the northbound side.  I must admit, there were several times that I would exit at Benton, cross over, get on northbound, do my delivery at the rest area, then pull over onto the shoulder of NB I-57 with my hazard lights on, wait for a gap in both directions of traffic, and do an illegal U-turn at the emergency vehicle crossover nearby.

[SEWIGuy]

Oh also, there are a few times when exiting a local gas station parking lot, that traffic backs up trying to take a left back onto the main drag.  I bypass all this traffic by turning right and using a roundabout a half block down.  I turn 360 degrees, and pass everyone still in line.

turning 360 degrees?  That leaves you in the same direction.

If I enter a roundabout, and go 360 degrees, I am going back where I came from correct?

[webny99]

Before they rebuilt the Kellogg/I-235 interchange here in Wichita, I used to leave the westside mall, get on WB Kellogg, then do two loop ramps of the cloverleaf in order to head EB back home.

Was it actually faster, or just more fun?

[CtrlAltDel]

Does this count:



(In the Chicago area, where I-88, I-290, and I-294 meet)

[wanderer2575]

Oh also, there are a few times when exiting a local gas station parking lot, that traffic backs up trying to take a left back onto the main drag.  I bypass all this traffic by turning right and using a roundabout a half block down.  I turn 360 degrees, and pass everyone still in line.

turning 360 degrees?  That leaves you in the same direction.

If I enter a roundabout, and go 360 degrees, I am going back where I came from correct?

Uh, no.  180 degrees is a U-turn.  360 degrees is a full circle. 

[webny99]

Does this count:

[img]

(In the Chicago area, where I-88, I-290, and I-294 meet)

Sure. It looks like you'd be entering I-290 WB, exiting, and re-entering I-290 EB, so it absolutely counts. And two minutes is even better time savings than some of the other ones mentioned.

[SEWIGuy]

Oh also, there are a few times when exiting a local gas station parking lot, that traffic backs up trying to take a left back onto the main drag.  I bypass all this traffic by turning right and using a roundabout a half block down.  I turn 360 degrees, and pass everyone still in line.

turning 360 degrees?  That leaves you in the same direction.

If I enter a roundabout, and go 360 degrees, I am going back where I came from correct?

Uh, no.  180 degrees is a U-turn.  360 degrees is a full circle. 

But I would go "a full circle" around the roundabout.

[Rothman]

Oh also, there are a few times when exiting a local gas station parking lot, that traffic backs up trying to take a left back onto the main drag.  I bypass all this traffic by turning right and using a roundabout a half block down.  I turn 360 degrees, and pass everyone still in line.

turning 360 degrees?  That leaves you in the same direction.

If I enter a roundabout, and go 360 degrees, I am going back where I came from correct?

Nope.  Only 180 if you exit where you entered.

[SEWIGuy]

Oh also, there are a few times when exiting a local gas station parking lot, that traffic backs up trying to take a left back onto the main drag.  I bypass all this traffic by turning right and using a roundabout a half block down.  I turn 360 degrees, and pass everyone still in line.

turning 360 degrees?  That leaves you in the same direction.

If I enter a roundabout, and go 360 degrees, I am going back where I came from correct?

Nope.  Only 180 if you exit where you entered.

That makes no sense.  A roundabout is a circle.  If I turn right, I go 90 degrees around that circle...go straight is 180...go left is 270...

[Rothman]

Oh also, there are a few times when exiting a local gas station parking lot, that traffic backs up trying to take a left back onto the main drag.  I bypass all this traffic by turning right and using a roundabout a half block down.  I turn 360 degrees, and pass everyone still in line.

turning 360 degrees?  That leaves you in the same direction.

If I enter a roundabout, and go 360 degrees, I am going back where I came from correct?

Nope.  Only 180 if you exit where you entered.

That makes no sense.  A roundabout is a circle.  If I turn right, I go 90 degrees around that circle...go straight is 180...go left is 270...

Nope.  You have to go all the way around and out the other side in the same direction you came in to do a 360.

Just think of a 360° dunk or a 360° spin.

My generation learned this playing 720° or Skate or Die...

[webny99]

The total degrees around the circle is 360, but the net degrees turned, relative to your starting position, is only 180.

[1995hoo]

Here's an interesting one in Charlottesville. The distance using the bypass (first link) is 3.1 miles, whereas if you go through the streets (second link) it's either 1.6 or 1.8 miles, but the bypass shows as one minute faster (due primarily to traffic lights on Emmet Street). The time savings could be more significant if it's a game day due to Emmet Street being the most direct route from the north to the primary parking areas for both basketball and football games. Note that the reason you have to make the screwy U-turn in the bypass option is because of the partial interchange.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.0593755,-78.4939218/38.0499961,-78.513/@38.0519176,-78.5122453,15z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-78.5120673!2d38.0557524!3s0x89b387a92641af09:0xa9d8cb2a399d1ed8!1m0!3e0

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.0593755,-78.4939218/38.0499961,-78.513/@38.0519176,-78.5122453,15z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0

[webny99]

Here's an interesting one in Charlottesville. The distance using the bypass (first link) is 3.1 miles, whereas if you go through the streets (second link) it's either 1.6 or 1.8 miles, but the bypass shows as one minute faster (due primarily to traffic lights on Emmet Street). The time savings could be more significant if it's a game day due to Emmet Street being the most direct route from the north to the primary parking areas for both basketball and football games. Note that the reason you have to make the screwy U-turn in the bypass option is because of the partial interchange.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.0593755,-78.4939218/38.0499961,-78.513/@38.0519176,-78.5122453,15z/data=!4m9!4m8!1m5!3m4!1m2!1d-78.5120673!2d38.0557524!3s0x89b387a92641af09:0xa9d8cb2a399d1ed8!1m0!3e0

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/38.0593755,-78.4939218/38.0499961,-78.513/@38.0519176,-78.5122453,15z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0

That's another good one, and similarly, to go from the UVA School of Business to US 29 SB could involve taking US 29 NB and turning around at Barracks Road.

[SEWIGuy]

The total degrees around the circle is 360, but the net degrees turned, relative to your starting position, is only 180.

But it isn't. I have gone around the entire circle.

[webny99]

The total degrees around the circle is 360, but the net degrees turned, relative to your starting position, is only 180.

But it isn't. I have gone around the entire circle.

Forget the circle even exists and just look at your start point (prior to entering roundabout) and end point (after exiting roundabout).

If you were to go directly between those two, like making a U-turn at an intersection, it would be a 180 degree turn. The roundabout just takes an extra 180 degrees of turning to make the same U-turn movement.