Something I observed along US 65 south of Buffalo (also along parts of MO 13) is what I call "extended left turn lanes". Instead of a simple left turn lane, it is extended lane almost like an at-grade off-ramp , sometimes separated by a median, sometimes meeting the intersection at a 45-degree angle.
Are there any other states who do this?
An example can be found here (https://www.google.com/maps/@37.300096,-93.177311,3a,75y,350.48h,91.59t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sNhXlriVNtBaGNMEONcrdOg!2e0) (without the median).
I tried to get a few photos, but they didn't come out to well.
Oh, like these in Illinois?
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.822946,-89.592465&spn=0.001139,0.002642&t=h&z=19
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=40.730325,-89.520247&spn=0.001638,0.002642&t=h&z=19
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=40.727693,-89.407454&spn=0.001639,0.002642&t=h&z=19
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.902063,-88.101852&spn=0.001138,0.002642&t=h&z=19
IDOT also does this:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.651706,-88.203419&spn=0.001616,0.002642&t=h&z=19
NJ examples (although not very common):
NJ 36 at Hope Rd.
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.287225,-74.078128&spn=0.001424,0.00268&t=h&z=19 (https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.287225,-74.078128&spn=0.001424,0.00268&t=h&z=19)
Garden State Parkway at Stone Harbor Blvd. (about to be replaced with an interchange)
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.085242,-74.814328&spn=0.001457,0.00268&t=h&z=19 (https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.085242,-74.814328&spn=0.001457,0.00268&t=h&z=19)
Michigan does them a bit more rarely than Illinois, as they do use the Michigan Left more often. However, there are several examples as MDOT has a fetish for channelization (which I happen to agree with).
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=42.735573,-84.485402&spn=0.001588,0.002642&t=h&z=19
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=42.773071,-84.413211&spn=0.001587,0.002642&t=h&z=19
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=42.326856,-83.272623&spn=0.002261,0.005284&t=h&z=18
(OK, this is a version of one that crosses the opposing lanes.)
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=46.540023,-87.40639&spn=0.001052,0.002642&t=h&z=19
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=46.546188,-87.427316&spn=0.002103,0.005284&t=h&z=18
As I recall there are some of these on the expressway portion of "Fort to Port" US 24.
The benefit is that it uses a portion of the median space to move the left turners farther to the left, so that it is clear that they turn in front of each other rather than crossing each other.
The more commonly used term for these type of left turns is "buried left."
U.S. 231 through Spencer County, Indiana has them; ditto U.S. 41 through the Evansville area, where they were added within the past several years.
This looks like it is done so that left turning motorists can actually see oncoming traffic during the permissive phase. Around here, in Texas, left turns are designated so that, due to vehicles in the oncoming turn lane, you can't see the oncoming traffic that you have to yield to when turning left on a green ball. It is incredibly inconvenient and unsafe, and they don't give a f***, and built roads like this anyway. It really sucks.
Quote from: Brandon on June 23, 2014, 02:03:34 PM
IDOT also does this:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=41.651706,-88.203419&spn=0.001616,0.002642&t=h&z=19
I saw something similar in Springdale, AR today at 71B and West Sunset (US 412)
Georgia has them as the typical condition, including retrofit of older roads. GA 365/US 23 has quite a few with the setup in both directions serving only a farm access on one side. :spin:
New York occasionally uses them on divided highways. NY 263 and Audobon Parkway at the SUNY Buffalo campus in Amherst have 4 intersections with them. There are two more south of Buffalo on NY 179. New York City has a few on major roads. Each of these examples are protected left turns with no permissive movement allowed at any time.