Interstate that crosses over to provide right hand access to rest area?

[kernals12]

I know that in North Carolina, Virginia, or Tennessee, there's a section of interstate where the carriageways cross over such that drivers find themselves on the left. All this is to provide access to a rest area in the median using right hand exits and entrances. But despite many efforts on Google Maps, I can't find it. What am I thinking of?

[dfilpus]

On I-85 between Lexington NC and Thomasville is the Davidson County Rest Area, which is between the switched roadways. There is a walkway across an old bridge to give access to the the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park adjacent to the southbound rest area.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qu3eoN3zFWjjW3fZ7

[kernals12]

On I-85 between Lexington NC and Thomasville is the Davidson County Rest Area, which is between the switched roadways. There is a walkway across an old bridge to give access to the the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park adjacent to the southbound rest area.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qu3eoN3zFWjjW3fZ7

Thank you! That is exactly what I was looking for. I wonder why they went to all the trouble to do that. All the other places they do that (I-5 in California in Castaic, SR-87 and I-8 in Yuma) it's to prevent traffic from having to climb an impossibly steep grade.

Edit: they have a layout like this at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, but they have a good reason: to ensure that the terminal, located in the median of the road, is accessible from the passenger side.

[GaryV]

I wonder why they went to all the trouble to do that.

To avoid ldft exits and entrances, such as the "Welcome" center in the middle of Michigan:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/uEX9BbdRcumrch8w5

[kernals12]

I wonder why they went to all the trouble to do that.

To avoid ldft exits and entrances, such as the "Welcome" center in the middle of Michigan:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/uEX9BbdRcumrch8w5

I get that, but it just seems like overkill.

Edit: Especially when you consider that NCDOT isn't willing to go to the effort to eliminate left hand ramps at this very busy interchange in Charlotte

[Molandfreak]

I wonder why they went to all the trouble to do that.

To avoid ldft exits and entrances, such as the "Welcome" center in the middle of Michigan:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/uEX9BbdRcumrch8w5

What's the problem with left exits and entrances? Do North Carolinians freak out whenever they see a left exit?

[Dirt Roads]

I wonder why they went to all the trouble to do that.

To avoid ldft exits and entrances, such as the "Welcome" center in the middle of Michigan:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/uEX9BbdRcumrch8w5

What's the problem with left exits and entrances? Do North Carolinians freak out whenever they see a left exit?

No problem in downtown Asheboro.  Which is now on the Interstate system.

[Rothman]

I wonder why they went to all the trouble to do that.

To avoid ldft exits and entrances, such as the "Welcome" center in the middle of Michigan:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/uEX9BbdRcumrch8w5

What's the problem with left exits and entrances? Do North Carolinians freak out whenever they see a left exit?

Left exits are horrible since slow, exiting traffic gets in the way of the passing/fast lane.

[wdcrft63]

On I-85 between Lexington NC and Thomasville is the Davidson County Rest Area, which is between the switched roadways. There is a walkway across an old bridge to give access to the the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park adjacent to the southbound rest area.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qu3eoN3zFWjjW3fZ7

I am doubtful that avoiding left exits was the only reason or even the most important reason for this design. I think there was a specific desire to create a park-like setting for the two rest areas. The northbound and southbound roadways remain separated for nearly four miles, avoiding Hamby Creek as it flows berween them. This creates a forested natural area that must total several hundred acres.

[Strider]

I wonder why they went to all the trouble to do that.

To avoid ldft exits and entrances, such as the "Welcome" center in the middle of Michigan:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/uEX9BbdRcumrch8w5

What's the problem with left exits and entrances? Do North Carolinians freak out whenever they see a left exit?

Left exits are horrible since slow, exiting traffic gets in the way of the passing/fast lane.

There are plenty of left exits and entrances everywhere in the US.

[Road Hog]

Left hand exits are de rigueur in Arkansas.

As part of the I-30 rebuild through Little Rock they actually went through the trouble of passing I-30 merging traffic over I-40 to put those lanes on the left, in position to merge onto Future I-57 without the need to change lanes.

I would've built a single right hand flyover downstream myself, but then again I'm not a state DOT tingling with cash.

[kernals12]

I wonder why they went to all the trouble to do that.

To avoid ldft exits and entrances, such as the "Welcome" center in the middle of Michigan:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/uEX9BbdRcumrch8w5

What's the problem with left exits and entrances? Do North Carolinians freak out whenever they see a left exit?

Left exits are horrible since slow, exiting traffic gets in the way of the passing/fast lane.

There are plenty of left exits and entrances everywhere in the US.

My home state of Connecticut is absolutely notorious for them.

[Molandfreak]

I wonder why they went to all the trouble to do that.

To avoid ldft exits and entrances, such as the "Welcome" center in the middle of Michigan:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/uEX9BbdRcumrch8w5

What's the problem with left exits and entrances? Do North Carolinians freak out whenever they see a left exit?

Left exits are horrible since slow, exiting traffic gets in the way of the passing/fast lane.

It really shouldn't be a problem in a rural area without much traffic, though. It seems like a huge waste of resources to build two bridges just to avoid a left exit here.

[CtrlAltDel]

Thank you! That is exactly what I was looking for. I wonder why they went to all the trouble to do that. All the other places they do that (I-5 in California in Castaic, SR-87 and I-8 in Yuma) it's to prevent traffic from having to climb an impossibly steep grade.

It's admittedly a bit off topic, but my understanding is that the crossover is to prevent too much of a down grade. Traffic that can't handle an up grade just stops, but traffic that can't handle a downgrade just keeps going.

[AUTiger7222]

On I-85 between Lexington NC and Thomasville is the Davidson County Rest Area, which is between the switched roadways. There is a walkway across an old bridge to give access to the the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park adjacent to the southbound rest area.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qu3eoN3zFWjjW3fZ7

I am doubtful that avoiding left exits was the only reason or even the most important reason for this design. I think there was a specific desire to create a park-like setting for the two rest areas. The northbound and southbound roadways remain separated for nearly four miles, avoiding Hamby Creek as it flows berween them. This creates a forested natural area that must total several hundred acres.

I think it's funny they went through all that trouble to build two separate rest areas. I figured if you're going to do that then you would just build a single one and people traveling in each direction would use it. In the county I live in in Alabama there's a single rest area that's like that. It doesn't matter if you're traveling north or south, you use the same rest area. It's located on the north side of the interstate, not in the middle. The only thing I don't like about the way they arranged it, is that even though it's only one rest area they made sure you couldn't change the direction of travel when leaving. North side people park and drive away on one side of the building while the people traveling south drive and park on the other side of the building. There's an overpass that allows access for the people traveling south to cross over the interstate to reach the rest area.

[wdcrft63]

On I-85 between Lexington NC and Thomasville is the Davidson County Rest Area, which is between the switched roadways. There is a walkway across an old bridge to give access to the the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park adjacent to the southbound rest area.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qu3eoN3zFWjjW3fZ7

I am doubtful that avoiding left exits was the only reason or even the most important reason for this design. I think there was a specific desire to create a park-like setting for the two rest areas. The northbound and southbound roadways remain separated for nearly four miles, avoiding Hamby Creek as it flows berween them. This creates a forested natural area that must total several hundred acres.

I think it's funny they went through all that trouble to build two separate rest areas. I figured if you're going to do that then you would just build a single one and people traveling in each direction would use it. In the county I live in in Alabama there's a single rest area that's like that. It doesn't matter if you're traveling north or south, you use the same rest area. It's located on the north side of the interstate, not in the middle. The only thing I don't like about the way they arranged it, is that even though it's only one rest area they made sure you couldn't change the direction of travel when leaving. North side people park and drive away on one side of the building while the people traveling south drive and park on the other side of the building. There's an overpass that allows access for the people traveling south to cross over the interstate to reach the rest area.

Topography plays a role. The two rest areas are separated by the gorge of Hamby Creek. That's not a problem for the pedestrian walkway but it would be a design problem for a roadway.

[VTGoose]

What's the problem with left exits and entrances? Do North Carolinians freak out whenever they see a left exit?

Apparently not. Multiple rest areas on I-77 in North Carolina were removed and replaced by one rest area between the north and southbound lanes, with left exits and entrances.

[kernals12]

On I-85 between Lexington NC and Thomasville is the Davidson County Rest Area, which is between the switched roadways. There is a walkway across an old bridge to give access to the the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park adjacent to the southbound rest area.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qu3eoN3zFWjjW3fZ7

I am doubtful that avoiding left exits was the only reason or even the most important reason for this design. I think there was a specific desire to create a park-like setting for the two rest areas. The northbound and southbound roadways remain separated for nearly four miles, avoiding Hamby Creek as it flows berween them. This creates a forested natural area that must total several hundred acres.

I think it's funny they went through all that trouble to build two separate rest areas. I figured if you're going to do that then you would just build a single one and people traveling in each direction would use it. In the county I live in in Alabama there's a single rest area that's like that. It doesn't matter if you're traveling north or south, you use the same rest area. It's located on the north side of the interstate, not in the middle. The only thing I don't like about the way they arranged it, is that even though it's only one rest area they made sure you couldn't change the direction of travel when leaving. North side people park and drive away on one side of the building while the people traveling south drive and park on the other side of the building. There's an overpass that allows access for the people traveling south to cross over the interstate to reach the rest area.

Topography plays a role. The two rest areas are separated by the gorge of Hamby Creek. That's not a problem for the pedestrian walkway but it would be a design problem for a roadway.

And building 2 crossovers that would need to traverse the creek solves that problem how?

[wdcrft63]

On I-85 between Lexington NC and Thomasville is the Davidson County Rest Area, which is between the switched roadways. There is a walkway across an old bridge to give access to the the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park adjacent to the southbound rest area.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/qu3eoN3zFWjjW3fZ7

I am doubtful that avoiding left exits was the only reason or even the most important reason for this design. I think there was a specific desire to create a park-like setting for the two rest areas. The northbound and southbound roadways remain separated for nearly four miles, avoiding Hamby Creek as it flows berween them. This creates a forested natural area that must total several hundred acres.

I think it's funny they went through all that trouble to build two separate rest areas. I figured if you're going to do that then you would just build a single one and people traveling in each direction would use it. In the county I live in in Alabama there's a single rest area that's like that. It doesn't matter if you're traveling north or south, you use the same rest area. It's located on the north side of the interstate, not in the middle. The only thing I don't like about the way they arranged it, is that even though it's only one rest area they made sure you couldn't change the direction of travel when leaving. North side people park and drive away on one side of the building while the people traveling south drive and park on the other side of the building. There's an overpass that allows access for the people traveling south to cross over the interstate to reach the rest area.

Topography plays a role. The two rest areas are separated by the gorge of Hamby Creek. That's not a problem for the pedestrian walkway but it would be a design problem for a roadway.

And building 2 crossovers that would need to traverse the creek solves that problem how?

Good point. Once the decision is made to do the crossovers the rest area design makes sense. But we don't understand the crossovers.

[civilengineeringnerd]

of course theres this in tennessee:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/West+Tennessee+Solar+Exhibit/@35.4085989,-89.388895,502m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m10!1m2!2m1!1swest+tennessee+solar+farm!3m6!1s0x887f9c87556cdbc9:0x314563023c45da5d!8m2!3d35.4091072!4d-89.3892275!15sChl3ZXN0IHRlbm5lc3NlZSBzb2xhciBmYXJtWhsiGXdlc3QgdGVubmVzc2VlIHNvbGFyIGZhcm2SAQ5zY2llbmNlX211c2V1bZoBI0NoWkRTVWhOTUc5blMwVkpRMEZuU1VOdGJFNWZXRmQzRUFF4AEA!16s%2Fg%2F11bz0c53g9?authuser=0&entry=ttu
where its a welcome center but for a solar farm along the interstate, and some science exhibit as well. theres no overpass for people who want to visit the solar farm coming from the westbound side, so you'd basically have to drive to exit 47, turn around at that exit, then drive all the way back down the interstate to see it.

[Henry]

What's the problem with left exits and entrances? Do North Carolinians freak out whenever they see a left exit?

Apparently not. Multiple rest areas on I-77 in North Carolina were removed and replaced by one rest area between the north and southbound lanes, with left exits and entrances.

A comparable example is on the JFK Memorial Highway, a (mostly) former toll road on I-95 in MD and DE that runs from Baltimore to Wilmington, and has not one or two, but three, service centers in the median:

• Chesapeake House
• Maryland House
• Delaware House

[MikieTimT]

Left hand exits are de rigueur in Arkansas.

As part of the I-30 rebuild through Little Rock they actually went through the trouble of passing I-30 merging traffic over I-40 to put those lanes on the left, in position to merge onto Future I-57 without the need to change lanes.

I would've built a single right hand flyover downstream myself, but then again I'm not a state DOT tingling with cash.

At least this will go a long way to eliminating the crush of merging cars in less than a mile of concurrency as I-30<-->US-67/US-167/Future I-57 is mainly local traffic, so this will greatly benefit the through I-40 traffic.  One of the main reason it pisses me off to no end that they put so many stinking new lanes in the 30 Crossing project.  Little Rock just isn't that big in regards to local traffic and most of the through western I-30<-->eastern I-40 traffic takes I-440 to avoid downtown anyway.  It's not like Arkansas could possibly have used the money to, oh let's say, build an I-40/I-49 stack and I-49 bridge across the Arkansas River to connect Alma and Barling, or bypass Siloam Springs.