AARoads Forum

National Boards => General Highway Talk => Topic started by: formulanone on March 02, 2020, 05:38:44 AM

Title: U-Turn to Stay On Route
Post by: formulanone on March 02, 2020, 05:38:44 AM
When driving on Alabama State Route 219 at US 82 in Centreville yesterday, I noticed the intersection only allows right turns (https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9580006,-87.1475916,3a,49.2y,345.05h,84.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sPuOTE_s3R9X4t5wC5GF-Uw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656), presumably to prevent high speed crashes from traffic on US 82. So to continue north or south on AL 219, one has to make a U-Turn as part of the official route. It's signed that way, as well. (https://www.google.com/maps/@32.9602143,-87.1539796,3a,39.6y,271.59h,89.19t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sgoLbH4aICYDpRW4OoEUBFA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) It was the first time I've encountered this in the field, other than for minor side roads which require a U-turn to continue onto different route. (For example, North Carolina does this a lot of four-lane highways where one must make a U-turn, but that's changing from one route to another.)

Any other instances of other routes doing this?

Is there an official/unofficial name for this? (Thru-turn? UTTSO?)
Title: Re: U-Turn to Stay On Route
Post by: wanderer2575 on March 02, 2020, 07:23:51 AM
BL I-96 west of Howell MI.  Westbound BL I-96 makes a Michigan Left (right turn then U-turn) at M-59.

Intersection:  https://goo.gl/maps/GCgdzzrKofdG6uQPA
Signage:  https://goo.gl/maps/gMA7mH1oW4U2nb7N6
Title: Re: U-Turn to Stay On Route
Post by: Roadrunner75 on March 02, 2020, 08:38:57 AM
There's a couple of these along US 301 on the eastern shore of Maryland where only left turns are permitted from 301, and the intersecting routes have to use u-turns to continue straight.
Title: Re: U-Turn to Stay On Route
Post by: ozarkman417 on March 02, 2020, 08:46:37 AM
MODOT calls these J-Turns. Over the past couple years, most junctions with state or supplemental highways have been replaced by J-Turns, on MO-13 and US-65 north of Springfield. Very few routes actually cross the highways via a J-turn, but some include MO 123 and 215 across MO 13.

SM-G965U

Title: Re: U-Turn to Stay On Route
Post by: US 89 on March 02, 2020, 11:15:02 AM
US 89 northbound requires a U-turn in Draper, Utah, as there are no direct left turns allowed at the 123rd South and State Street intersection (https://goo.gl/maps/7gWaCVquPzrpS1mNA).

UDOT calls this setup a ThrU-turn. There's at least one other ThrU-turn in the state (Main St/Hill Field Rd in Layton (https://www.google.com/maps/@41.0727346,-111.9785138,379m/data=!3m1!1e3)), but neither of the numbered routes there make a turn.
Title: Re: U-Turn to Stay On Route
Post by: sbeaver44 on March 02, 2020, 12:13:07 PM
DE 30 at US 13.  DE 30 does actually continue west of the intersection, and signage makes that clear.
Title: Re: U-Turn to Stay On Route
Post by: Some one on March 02, 2020, 02:57:30 PM
US 281 in San Antonio only has one of it, where only left turns are allowed on 281.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.6610423,-98.4503213,3a,15y,173.26h,92.42t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s1cVo3VyRCT-JyV0AN23qhw!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D1cVo3VyRCT-JyV0AN23qhw%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.revgeo_and_fetch.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D163.0745%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=3

There used to be more, but they've been reconfigured as 281's being upgraded to interstate standard. This intersection won't last long either since they plan to extend the freeway further norh.
Title: Re: U-Turn to Stay On Route
Post by: hbelkins on March 03, 2020, 01:33:32 PM
Wouldn't that spot in Virginia where both directions of US 60 are concurrent on the same one-way street count?
Title: Re: U-Turn to Stay On Route
Post by: Mapmikey on March 03, 2020, 07:25:47 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on March 03, 2020, 01:33:32 PM
Wouldn't that spot in Virginia where both directions of US 60 are concurrent on the same one-way street count?

Don't believe u-turns are involved in this set up...uses consecutive turns on city streets IIRC.

US 301 in Maryland has a couple of these with MD routes needing u-turns to get across 301.
Title: Re: U-Turn to Stay On Route
Post by: formulanone on March 03, 2020, 07:46:26 PM
Quote from: Roadrunner75 on March 02, 2020, 08:38:57 AM
There's a couple of these along US 301 on the eastern shore of Maryland where only left turns are permitted from 301, and the intersecting routes have to use u-turns to continue straight.

Quote from: ozarkman417 on March 02, 2020, 08:46:37 AM
Very few routes actually cross the highways via a J-turn, but some include MO 123 and 215 across MO 13.

Heh, never noticed those two since I've used those sections of US 301 and MO 13 without turning.

Quote from: wanderer2575 on March 02, 2020, 07:23:51 AM
BL I-96 west of Howell MI.  Westbound BL I-96 makes a Michigan Left (right turn then U-turn) at M-59.

I thought about this being a Michigan Left, but Michigan Left-Right seems more appropriate.

Although I submit Thorn-turn and Michigan Chicane aren't quite as clever as Thru-turn.