Multiple Lanes Ending Consecutively

[webny99]

What are some examples of where two or more lanes on the same side of a highway/freeway end at once or in quick succession?

I-20/59 eastbound just east of where the two routes join near Meridian, MS
QEW Niagara at the Red Hill Valley Parkway east of Hamilton, ON*



*Look back a little further and you'll see that a through lane has also just ended, plus the pair of on-ramps that previously merged from Hwy 20, for a stunning eight lanes collapsing into three in under 2 km.

[1995hoo]

SB Jersey Turnpike just south of Exit 6.

[GaryV]

West end of M-14 as it merges into I-94

[kphoger]

Due to the recent rebuild of Kellogg/I-235 here in Wichita
Farther downstream

[wanderer2575]

Both of the OP examples, and the westbound I-94 example, are because of entrance ramp lanes ending.  Is that really what you're looking for?  I see nothing extraordinary about that.  Instances of multiple existing thru lanes ending would be more interesting.

[webny99]

Both of the OP examples, and the westbound I-94 example, are because of entrance ramp lanes ending.  Is that really what you're looking for?  I see nothing extraordinary about that.  Instances of multiple existing thru lanes ending would be more interesting.

Either one is fine. To me, it's still interesting if both lanes from the on-ramp end in very quick succession (not necessarily simultaneously, but close to it). Usually, one of the following happens:

(1) at least one lane stays on until the next exit
(2) at least one lane stays on permanently, or until the next major junction
(3) one lane ends from each side of the roadway
(4) one lane ends before the ramp joins the main roadway

That leads me to believe that this is not extremely common, but I'm interested to see how many examples are found. Maybe it will be more prevalent than I expect.

[BrianP]

A historical one was I-64 in Newport News VA.  It had consecutive lane drops westbound going from 4 lanes to 2 lanes.  They were both left lane endings.

The first hasn't changed.

The second you can still see in Streetview history.

[roadman65]

The NJ Turnpike before the 1989 widening from 8A to 9. All three truck lanes ended south of NJ 18 in less than a quarter mile.

I do not know how currently they engineered the post Exit 6 confluence, but hopefully they did the blend more gradual.

[US 89]

I-15 southbound to I-215 eastbound, Murray UT
About a quarter mile ahead

That section of 215 can be a nightmare to drive because most drivers don't realize after the first added lane ends that the second lane is also going to end, and there's also the State Street exit a bit further down the road which probably half of all traffic merging in from 15 south is heading towards. Combine those two factors and you get a freeway with a hell of a lot of lane changes and weaving in a relatively short time span.

[kurumi]

(counterexample, where CT 9 southbound quickly expands from 2 lanes to 5: https://goo.gl/maps/VnJcJVvmbkUuLVLn8. In the other direction, the merge down to 2 lanes is more gradual)

[kphoger]

(counterexample, where CT 9 southbound quickly expands from 2 lanes to 5: https://goo.gl/maps/VnJcJVvmbkUuLVLn8. In the other direction, the merge down to 2 lanes is more gradual)

Nuevo León state highway 1 says Hold my beer.

[Rothman]

(counterexample, where CT 9 southbound quickly expands from 2 lanes to 5: https://goo.gl/maps/VnJcJVvmbkUuLVLn8. In the other direction, the merge down to 2 lanes is more gradual)

Nuevo León state highway 1 says Hold my beer.

Aren't those beginning rather than ending?  Looking at this on my phone, so it's hard to tell.

[kphoger]

Aren't those beginning rather than ending?  Looking at this on my phone, so it's hard to tell.

Yes.  That's why I used it in reply to a post that contained the phrase "counterexample, where CT 9 southbound quickly expands from 2 lanes to 5".

[Rothman]

Aren't those beginning rather than ending?  Looking at this on my phone, so it's hard to tell.

Yes.  That's why I used it in reply to a post that contained the phrase "counterexample, where CT 9 southbound quickly expands from 2 lanes to 5".

Ah.  So I see now.

[jeffandnicole]

The NJ Turnpike before the 1989 widening from 8A to 9. All three truck lanes ended south of NJ 18 in less than a quarter mile.

I do not know how currently they engineered the post Exit 6 confluence, but hopefully they did the blend more gradual.

From the gore point to the very end of the merge area, it appears to be 3,550 feet, so roughly 2/3rds of a mile.  On a gradual curve and hill.

[Joe The Dragon]

IL-47 near I-90

[vdeane]

This happens both directions of the Thruway near Woodbury.  NB there's the merge from the former cash lanes and the ramp from NY 17 both ending; SB, the lanes from the cash booths (and future enforcement pull-off) becomes a through lane and both lanes from NY 17 end.  Weirdly, they don't seem to have plans to change that when the toll booth removal happens there.

[pianocello]

Florida's Turnpike northbound goes from 4 lanes to 2 within the span of about a half mile at the FL 50 interchange west of Orlando. Going the other way, the 2 lanes turns to 4 immediately.

https://goo.gl/maps/zHNJTZTGjsQuiY7x9

[I-55]

On one of my trips to Mississippi way back when, I-20/59 had the 6 lane end east of Tuscaloosa, and immediately the left lane was closed for bridge work. Ironic how the road got narrower closer to Tuscaloosa. Glad it's almost done to 359.

[davewiecking]

Counting an entrance ramp from Democracy Blvd, the I-270 spur drops from 5 to 3 lanes just before hitting the DC Beltway. On westbound MD-200, the entrance ramps from Ga. Ave and the Metro station are 2 lane ramps that go away "pretty quickly" .

[kphoger]

IL-47 near I-90

Here is GSV of the second taper, with the warning sign for the third one visible in the background.

[deathtopumpkins]

The Everett Turnpike in NH briefly squeezes down to 2 lanes each way just south of the 293/101 interchange in Bedford. Coming northbound you have 3 lanes plus 2 entering lanes from the Manchester Airport connector. The three right lanes all end in just under a mile: https://goo.gl/maps/navrjc1NjGUgRZom8

The reverse is true southbound: 3 new lanes are added on the right in the same span.

For a counterexample, we have the current temporary setup at the Charlestown Bridge in Boston, where the one northbound lane on the temporary bridge widens to FIVE lanes at once at Chelsea St: https://goo.gl/maps/aTjQzibp47ob4DSd7

[Flint1979]

I-75 at the M-13 Connector goes from four lanes in each direction to two lanes north of that exit. The farthest left lane ends, then the middle two lanes are the through lanes and the right lane becomes the M-13 Connector exit. Going in the southbound direction I-75 goes from two lanes to four with one lane starting just after the overpass of the M-13 Connector and the other continuing from the M-13 Connector to I-75 south.

This is how it's signed on the northbound side.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6091291,-83.9476114,3a,47.8y,352.58h,92.61t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sCmMCDb-NvLdysagPZI_bbQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[interstatefan990]

Apologies for posting about a video game, but you guys should see the hilarious merge lanes in Grand Theft Auto 5:

[kphoger]

Apologies for posting about a video game, but you guys should see the hilarious merge lanes in Grand Theft Auto 5:

Real-life example that I've driven through several times