AARoads Forum

In light of a very tragic accident (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-wrong-way-crash-0808-20110808,0,5299097.story) (and several of my own near misses), should freeway crossovers be closed off, particularly in areas with exits spaced less than five miles apart?

The particular story involves a car that used the crossover to go the wrong way on a tollway, but I've had my own near misses, usually with cops who choose to use them instead of going to an interchange to turn around.

/The Trib changed its URL for the story.

-- fixed URL error. ms

In most cases, freeway exits aren't so far spread out that somebody would need to use a crossover to get going back in the other direction. For freeway purposes, crossovers really should be eliminated where possible, as having too many crossovers somewhat breaks the spirit of a freeway being a divided highway with full control of access. Any crossovers in use really should be strategically placed to be of particular benefit and use by DOT maintenance and law enforcement only--Nevada marks practically all crossovers as "Authorized Use Only".

Crossovers are shown as a safety issue, then they need to be reduced not closed in high traffic freeways. We should take measures to avoid more accidents from occurring. Should there be a special off-ramp from a freeway to the toll way, requires construction crews since they need to built a bridge...would closed off freeway lanes to snarl traffic.

My personal thoughts are to close as many as possible.  These crossovers, while useful for emergency vehicles, get abused all too often.  They tend to be abused most often by those who have a non-emergency (including far too many cops), and by law enforcement who think they are ideal for speed patrol (while not realizing it is the most dangerous place for them to be - all it takes is one errant vehicle to plaster them all over the freeway).  It's a safety issue for closing as many as possible, IMHO.

NY only allows DOT and emergency vehicles to use them, which means construction and speed patrol.

I prefer to have them closed. If they are not going to use them properly, than close it down. This accident should have been prevented. X-(

When one looks at the total number of accidents and deaths, those caused by crossovers are very few and infrequent. 

Of course, the number of near misses are much higher and unreported.

About ten years ago the Massachusetts Turnpike closed almost all of theirs, placing either Jersey barriers or guard rails across them.  There are still quite a few turnarounds, built like exit ramps and originally intended for maintenance vehicles and snow plows, but almost none remain across the median.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on August 09, 2011, 08:40:27 AM
When one looks at the total number of accidents and deaths, those caused by crossovers are very few and infrequent. 

Of course, the number of near misses are much higher and unreported.

I have had a few.  More than I care for.  One of them involved an Indiana weight cop who flew around a break in I-94 near Michigan City.  I don't even think he looked, but he had no lights, no siren, and proceeded to go only slightly over the limit after merging with my side.  I was driving a 4X4 F350 Quad Cab for work at the time and was thankful I was in the middle lane where I could slow and swerve slightly to avoid the jerk.

Should I mention the Illinois State Trooper who had his nose in the left lane of I-55 while doing speed patrol near Braidwood?  Median there is so narrow that he not only had his nose in the left lane of my side, but his tail bumper was in the left lane of the other side.