“Creative” Lane Configurations in Work Zones

[nwi_navigator_1181]

In construction zones, there are usually lane configurations and shifts that usually stay within the confines of the highway limits. Sometimes, there are some, shall I say, "creative"  usage of the area in order to keep traffic moving as much as possible. A couple of examples:

On I-94 in Michigan, just north of the Indiana state line, the intensity of the road work involved required the two open westbound lanes to use the weigh station lanes to go through the zone; I'm sure the same thing was done for eastbound.

The work on I-43 at and around the I-39/90 interchange required traffic to use the frontage road to get by while mainline work was in progress.

Was there anything like this where you traveled? Share them here, and thank you in advance for your responses.

[wanderer2575]

(snip)
On I-94 in Michigan, just north of the Indiana state line, the intensity of the road work involved required the two open westbound lanes to use the weigh station lanes to go through the zone; I'm sure the same thing was done for eastbound.
(snip)

Well, it's not like the facilities were being used to actually weigh trucks, because Michigan.

Weirdest detour/shift I went through was a few years ago during the reconstruction of the northbound I-75 bridge over I-280 in Toledo, OH.  The bridge was completely closed and all northbound I-75 traffic was detoured to southbound I-280.  Temporary two-lane ramps (southbound exit and northbound entry) were constructed at Central Avenue, about 3/4 mile south.  I-75 traffic exited, turned left and used Central Avenue to go over I-280, then turned left again onto I-280 north and back to I-75.  Central Avenue traffic was blocked at both ends and also no traffic using the ramps was allowed to turn onto Central, so it was a continuous 180-degree exit and re-entry flow of I-75 traffic.

You can still see the grading of the temporary ramps:  https://goo.gl/maps/i9cTE3AVEtWdwzmU6

[sprjus4]

Any Texas work zone - just shift traffic onto the frontage roads.

[ET21]

Whenever the IL Tollway does massive roadwork projects they tend to make temporary express lanes. There's one currently on 294 southbound. They also have massive traffic shifts ongoing from 95th to just past I-55 that are quite impressive, allows them to rebuild large sections at a time. Many of them are contraflow lanes

[sprjus4]

Here's something.

On I-64 in Chesapeake, the westbound (heading due east) lanes through the I-464 interchange is configured to be 2 "through" lanes and 2 "local" lanes in a C/D setup. Due to the construction of an ongoing project to add HO/T lanes in the area, they had to close the inner "through" roadway and shift traffic onto the "local" lanes. To help mitigate the obvious increased traffic, weaving, and congestion overall caused by this, they temporarily widened that outer "local" roadway to be 3 lanes to better handle the increased traffic.

But it's now a situation where traffic getting on I-64 from I-464 or VA-168 / US-17 can immediately join the I-64 mainline instead of traveling down the C/D road for a distance. Also, traffic exiting at VA-168 Business does not have to enter the C/D road west of the I-464 interchange, it can continue on the mainline and exit directly at VA-168 Business. A temporary situation, but sort of interesting.

[MCRoads]

I have seen highways closed at night to do work on bridges, usually narrowing to one lane, and using an off-ramp. If the work is being done for more than 1 or 2 nights, they usually have a lane shift. Yesterday I saw something really unique: the entire highway was shifted onto an off ramp to allow for bridge construction. Both lanes of NB I-25 were directed onto the one-lane off ramp, with cones separating the 2 lanes and keeping traffic on the pavement. The lanes couldn't have been more than 8 ft wide. The speed limit was posted at 25 mph! Honestly, I think the most unique thing about this was how they signed it. There were many VMS signs telling drivers to slow down, and to use caution. There were also signs that directed trucks off the interstate and onto a parallel road. The signs I can remember, in order, were:

TRUCKS
USE EXIT
250
=====
TRUCKS
MUST USE
DETOUR


EXPECT
DELAYS
AHEAD
=====
REDUCE
SPEED
AHEAD


REDUCE
SPEED
AHEAD
=====
LANES
NARROW
1 MILE

After the construction site, there was a sign that said:

TRUCKS
REENTER
HIGHWAY
=====
AFTER
EXIT 254

[CtrlAltDel]

In Duluth MN, southbound I-35 has been moved onto an adjacent road, almost but not quite exactly a frontage road, for some construction.

I've been trying to find a map, but I haven't been successful so far.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

In Duluth MN, southbound I-35 has been moved onto an adjacent road, almost but not quite exactly a frontage road, for some construction.

This part of the project has not happened yet; southbound traffic is currently shifted over to the northbound carriageway with one lane of traffic in each direction.

[Scott5114]

The work on I-43 at and around the I-39/90 interchange required traffic to use the frontage road to get by while mainline work was in progress.

Was there anything like this where you traveled? Share them here, and thank you in advance for your responses.

Back during the 90s, the reconstruction of I-35 through Oklahoma City was like this. Traffic was diverted up onto the frontage roads (which were walled off with Jersey barrier) while the mainline lanes were torn out and rebuilt in the depressed pit below.

I kind of feel like ODOT wouldn't get away with that today. There'd be too much whining about people not being able to access businesses on the frontage road.

[CtrlAltDel]

In Duluth MN, southbound I-35 has been moved onto an adjacent road, almost but not quite exactly a frontage road, for some construction.

This part of the project has not happened yet; southbound traffic is currently shifted over to the northbound carriageway with one lane of traffic in each direction.

I apologize. I saw on Google Maps that Lower Michigan Street was closed, and I didn't check further.

To redeem myself, I offer the following tunnel reconstruction on I-70 in Idaho Springs CO from about 2013, where traffic heading east was routed around the mountain altogether along a road that now gives access to a recreational trail:

[Great Lakes Roads]

In Duluth MN, southbound I-35 has been moved onto an adjacent road, almost but not quite exactly a frontage road, for some construction.

This part of the project has not happened yet; southbound traffic is currently shifted over to the northbound carriageway with one lane of traffic in each direction.

I apologize. I saw on Google Maps that Lower Michigan Street was closed, and I didn't check further.

To redeem myself, I offer the following tunnel reconstruction on I-70 in Idaho Springs CO from about 2013, where traffic heading east was routed around the mountain altogether along a road that now gives access to a recreational trail:

Oh yes! I had to drive through that work zone back in 2014 in the dark, and I was like, "Why are we going around a mountain?"

[jay8g]

WSDOT has had some recent projects on I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass where they've diverted mainline traffic up the offramp and back down, essentially creating an at-grade RIRO on the freeway. Here's an example (see page 18).