Old-Fashioned Three-Lane Roadways

[RoadWarrior56]

Back when I was a kid, we lived in Louisville, KY for awhile, while my dad had family in Elizabethtown. On most weekends we drove between those two cities (approximate 45 miles apart).  Often we would take US 31W, which left Louisville on the SW side and went through Fort Knox and Radcliff, on its way to Elizabethtown.

The section of 31W to the US 60 split was already a 4-lane roadway, although antiquated by today's standards.  The section of 31W south of Radcliff, was originally a two-lane roadway that was gradually widened into four-lanes as well.  However, the section of 31W between the US 60 split and Radcliff was a three-lane roadway.  This was back in the early 1960's. when we made these trips  This section of roadway traveled through Fort Knox.

As I recall, the roadway was concrete, and it was probably constructed about the time of World War 2, possibly in conjunction with the development of Fort Knox, all way before my time.

I do vividly remmeber that this stretch of roadway would never operate today as it did then.  Basically, the outer lanes were for through traffic in each direction, and the middle lane was NOT a continuous left-turn lane.  It was a shared passing lane.

Much of the lenght of the roadway had no yellow lines, just skip whites between the lanes (yellow skips did not appear until after the 1971 MUTCD).  In those sections, if you got the middle lane first, you got to pass.  Otherwise, there could be a head-on colllision between fast passing cars going in opposite directions.  Other sections seemed to have double yellow lines around one set of skip whites or another, which would allow passing for only one direction or the other, with the double yellows diagonaling through the lane to the other side, to mark the end of passing in that direction.  Making this road even more dangerous is that it traveled through the strip development around Fort Knox and other areas.

My parents thought the roadway was dangerous and seldom used those passing lanes.  Maybe that is why I am able to be here writing this now.

I do recall that this three-lane section of 31W was gradually converted into a four-lane facility in two or more stages, starting in Radcliff and working north.  By the end of the 60's, I think it was only a memory.

Does anybody else remember this roadway, and/or are there any other roadways that operated like this?  I have heard they were common in the 30's and 40's, but were gradually converted into wide two lanes facilities or widened into four-lanes, so this might had been one of the last of the era.

[yanksfan6129]

I think 2+1 roads are common in Scandinavia, but its not exactly the same thing.

[Chris]

3 lane road in Belgium:


The first 2+1 road in the Netherlands:

[Bryant5493]

^^ Safest 2+1 road that I've seen, Chris. The ones over here in the States are undivided, with broken lines for passing, in spots.


Be well,

Bryant

[Southern Illinois SKYWARN]

MODOT is in the process of designing a road similar to the one seen above between Central MO and recreation areas north of Springfield.

[ComputerGuy]

WA has a ton of those north of Everett still...in fact, I live near an intersection with a 2+1 road, a 4+1 road and a 4+2 road!

[Bryant5493]

Re: Southern Illinois SKYWARN's post

I saw video about something like that on YouTube, and I favorited it. I had to search through my favorites, but I found it.

Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxd54Qy-1yk


Be well,

Bryant

[mightyace]

They are fairly common in my home state of Pennsylvania.

Most of US 11 between Sunbury and Nanticoke is still three lane with it either being 2+1 or center turn lane.

Parts of US 15 between I-80 and Williamsport used to be this way.

The US11/15 Multiplex between Shamokin Dam and Amity Hall used to be three lanes and it was gradually upgraded to four.

I think US 11 south of Carlisle is/was this way and I've heard that most of US 11 in Virginia is/was this way.

My dad has told me that in the 1960s, most of these roads were in the configuration that had a shared passing lane in the middle just like RoadWarrior56 said about US 31W in Kentucky.

By the time I was old enough to remember going on highways in the early 70s, these roads had been converted to 2+1, center turn lane or simply widened.

[PAHighways]

US 22 between Murrysville and Ebensburg had three-lane sections that would vary between 2 EB/1 WB, 1 EB/1 CT/1WB, and 1 EB/2 WB.  Thankfully, those are slowing disappearing as PennDOT makes it four lanes from Pittsburgh to Altoona.

[mightyace]

It's generally assumed/postulated that the last 3-lane road with a "suicide lane" in the U.S. was US 1 in southern Virginia (south of South Hill).  It was restriped with the suicide lane eliminated in the mid-90s

It lasted that long?

Why? 

[deathtopumpkins]

Actually one of those still exists here... though it's not a U.S. Highway; The Colonial National Historical Parkway between Yorktown and Jamestown, VA. 3 lanes with no markings for most of the route, and the center lane used for passing in both directions except in areas designated by Do Not Pass signs. It's a pretty fun drive, but people from the surrounding developments have been using it to commute lately, so it's usually too busy to pass.

[Alps]

Actually one of those still exists here... though it's not a U.S. Highway; The Colonial National Historical Parkway between Yorktown and Jamestown, VA. 3 lanes with no markings for most of the route, and the center lane used for passing in both directions except in areas designated by Do Not Pass signs. It's a pretty fun drive, but people from the surrounding developments have been using it to commute lately, so it's usually too busy to pass.

Finally, someone else recognizes that it's the last one left!  I have photos at http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/va/colonial.  I also have this photo from US 1 in southern Virginia before it was converted to a regular 3-lane: http://www.alpsroads.net/roads/va/us_1/suicide.jpg

ETA: I have passed on the Colonial Parkway as recently as when I took these photos.  Traffic was light whatever day it was.

[Alps]

I think 2+1 roads are common in Scandinavia, but its not exactly the same thing.

Also in Nova Scotia.

[Alex]

Parts of US 15 between I-80 and Williamsport used to be this way.

The US11/15 Multiplex between Shamokin Dam and Amity Hall used to be three lanes and it was gradually upgraded to four.

When this topic came up, I immediately thought of this section of roadway. I have memories of trips to my grandparents house in Upstate NY up that this corridor from this roadway. I remember it being a royal pain in the butt when my parents encountered a slow moving vehicle on this stretch. When I returned in 1993, I was amazed to see how much that corridor had changed with the four-laning and expresswaylike characteristics in spots.

[mightyace]

Well for me, my parents used US 11/15 it a lot going to/from Harrisburg and sometimes Lancaster and my hometown of Bloomsburg.

I got to see even more of it when I was in graduate school going to/from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.

[Voyager]

Highway 37 used to be this way before they added the median barrier. After they did that there was only room for two lanes.

[deathtopumpkins]

Well froggie, look at the grooves in the pavement, and the fact that each panel is about the size of a lane. So what do you think the center would be used for?  I've passed in the center, I've seen people pass in the center, and Park Rangers use it a lot.

[Bryant5493]

^^ I've seen a road similar to that in my neighborhood. People usually park on both sides of the street, so it gives more room to pass, if necessary. It's not a regular travel lane, however.


Be well,

Bryant

[deathtopumpkins]

That's the common setup on residential streets here too--but this is a limited-access road we're talking about here! (I refuse to call it a freeway even though my paper maps show it as one and it shares all the characteristics)

[Alps]

All of my times on the Colonial Pkwy (which were quite a few when I was living in VA Beach), every driver assumed that it was 2 lanes, not 3.  Though I don't disagree with your theory, my operational experience is far diferent than Alps' actual operation.

I've seen mixed.  Some people straddle the line and make it into two lanes, other stay within their line and leave three lanes.  Either way you can pass, but it's easier when the third lane is available.  When I first drove it as a kid I remember my dad telling me he was checking the middle lane to make sure no one was in it before passing - he did use it to pass with traffic on the other side.  I guess back then people kept to 3 lanes more, whereas now with no other highway like it, people don't know what to do and split 50/50.  When you start passing them, though, they tend to move and make it 3 lanes anyway.

[Bryant5493]

deathtopumpkins said:
That's the common setup on residential streets here too--but this is a limited-access road we're talking about here! (I refuse to call it a freeway even though my paper maps show it as one and it shares all the characteristics)

Bryant5493 says:
Just looked this road up on google maps. I see what you're talking about, with respect to limited-access.

What's the speed limit on this road, anyway?


Be well,

Bryant

[deathtopumpkins]

45 on the whole thing except the DoG St. Tunnel in Williamsburg and a few "congested areas" where there are multiple exits, which are I believe 35.

[Bryant5493]

Okay. Thanks, froggie and deathtopumpkins.


Be well,

Bryant

[Truvelo]

Here in the UK we still have a few of the suicide three lane roads surviving like the one below.



Most have now been restriped as 2+1 and some have even been marked out with 2 conventional lanes like this. The old markings are still just about visible.

[Bryant5493]

^^ Wow! Very different.


Be well,

Bryant