Mississippi Lefts

[US71]

In Hattiesburg, I noticed a new way (new to ME at least) of handling left turns: instead of simply having a left turn lane, it is striped off from the main travel lanes:
http://g.co/maps/ak8v4

The signals are a modified monopole: a single pole in the median with curved mast arms: one with the main signals, one with the left signal, one for the side road.


Is there anyplace else this is done? I noticed in Alabama (near Daphne, I think) there were a couple left turn lanes separated by curbs from the main flow of traffic.

[NE2]

This is very common when there's a wide median.

[realjd]

One reason they offset the left turn like this is to allow greater visibility for a permissive left. Turning cars have a much easier time seeing oncoming traffic if the opposing turn lane isn't in the way.

[kphoger]

Yes, this is common on high-speed four-lane highways with at-grade lefts (is that enough hyphenated compound words for you?).  I'm thinking specifically of IL-13 between Carbondale and Marion.

[Michael]

I've seen them occasionally here in NY.  Just west of Auburn, a new strip mall style shopping center was built in 2007, right across from the existing mall.  Later that year (it might have been 2008, I can't remember) NYSDOT extended the right turn lane for westbound traffic into the mall, and separated the left turn lanes into the shopping center with stripes as seen here.  They also separated the left turn lanes for eastbound traffic heading to the mall, as seen here.

[bassoon1986]

Monroe, LA has them along US 165 between I-20 and US 80 and Alexandria, LA re-did some interchanges near the Coliseum like this on LA 28 west

[Alps]

This is very common when there's a wide median.

See US 130 in NJ as one of the original divided highways to use this, still a few locations left.

[hbelkins]

I, too, have seen this at a number of places.

[1995hoo]

We have a similar setup, though with two left-turn lanes, at an intersection near my house. Problem is, the straight-ahead lanes back up and invariably whenever it's backed up you get some assholes who think that striped area is provided so they can drive up the left lane that becomes left-only and then drive down the striped area trying to shove right until some sucker lets them in.

[signalman]

I get plenty of manuevers like that here in northern NJ.  I never let douche bags like that in, if I can help it.  I will also lean on the horn at those who do aide in assholish behavior by letting them in.

[agentsteel53]

I get plenty of manuevers like that here in northern NJ.  I never let douche bags like that in, if I can help it.  I will also lean on the horn at those who do aide in assholish behavior by letting them in.

unfortunately, in California we have way too many people who let in assholes like that.  I did, however, see someone get stuck in a white-striped gore because no one would let him in to the exit lane ... and no one would let him back into mainline traffic!

[signalman]

I get plenty of manuevers like that here in northern NJ.  I never let douche bags like that in, if I can help it.  I will also lean on the horn at those who do aide in assholish behavior by letting them in.

unfortunately, in California we have way too many people who let in assholes like that.  I did, however, see someone get stuck in a white-striped gore because no one would let him in to the exit lane ... and no one would let him back into mainline traffic!

Apparently the guy wasn't very aggressive behind the wheel either.  Or was traffic bumper to bumper?

[kphoger]

I get plenty of manuevers like that here in northern NJ.  I never let douche bags like that in, if I can help it.  I will also lean on the horn at those who do aide in assholish behavior by letting them in.

unfortunately, in California we have way too many people who let in assholes like that.  I did, however, see someone get stuck in a white-striped gore because no one would let him in to the exit lane ... and no one would let him back into mainline traffic!

Apparently the guy wasn't very aggressive behind the wheel either.  Or was traffic bumper to bumper?

Agreed.  What you do is just start inching your way, pebble by pebble, into the lane you want (if traffic is at a crawl), or ride the shoulder (if traffic is fast and there is a shoulder).  If traffic is NOT slow, and there is NO shoulder, then what business did you have stopping in No Man's Land to begin with.  Miss your exit?  Too bad, there'll be another one shortly.

[agentsteel53]

Apparently the guy wasn't very aggressive behind the wheel either.  Or was traffic bumper to bumper?

bumper to bumper for both mainline and exit.  no shoulders, as this is the notorious Mira Mesa @ 805 construction zone.

[kphoger]

Yeah, in bumper-to-bumper, you just start crawling into your lane.  People would rather let you in then let you scratch their mirror.

[agentsteel53]

Yeah, in bumper-to-bumper, you just start crawling into your lane.  People would rather let you in then let you scratch their mirror.

oh, I drive a beater.  scratch away, asshole.

[kphoger]

Quote from one of my college profs, who lived in Colombia for a while:

If I drove in America the way I drive in Colombia, I'd get a ticket within an hour.
If I drove in Colombia the way I drive in America, I'd never make it across the street.

Drivers can be so timid here, I wonder sometimes how they make it out of the driveway in the morning.

[agentsteel53]

Quote from one of my college profs, who lived in Colombia for a while:

If I drove in America the way I drive in Colombia, I'd get a ticket within an hour.
If I drove in Colombia the way I drive in America, I'd never make it across the street.

Drivers can be so timid here, I wonder sometimes how they make it out of the driveway in the morning.

indeed.  I note how many cars in Paris have minor dents, dings and scrapes.  occasionally, shit happens.

[tidecat]

Jeffersontown, Kentucky has these along Hurstbourne Parkway.

[PurdueBill]

OH 18 has several of this style, though not as drastic a separation between the thru and left-turn lanes, from just west of I-77 to just into Medina County. 

[golden eagle]

There's one on US 49 just north of Jackson.

[twinsfan87]

I've seen many similar setups in Wisconsin (for example: http://g.co/maps/gxxp9). WisDOT often separates the left-turning vehicles with a surmountable concrete "median", sometimes with rumble strips and/or yellow paint. I did wonder why they did that, but realjd's answer seems to make sense to me.