Cloverleaf U Turns & Second Chances?

[HighwayStar]

This occurred to me last night driving around. 

Cloverleafs can sometimes be used as an effective U turn by taking two exits consecutively.
Cloverleafs can also sometimes be used as a "second chance exit" by taking 3 loops consecutively. 

[Rothman]

This occurred to me last night driving around. 

Cloverleafs can sometimes be used as an effective U turn by taking two exits consecutively.
Cloverleafs can also sometimes be used as a "second chance exit" by taking 3 loops consecutively. 

Ayup.  Used them that way many-a-time.

[SkyPesos]

Cloverleafs can also sometimes be used as a "second chance exit" by taking 3 loops consecutively. 

I've done that once, after missing the first (and obviously more direct) ramp.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Meh, this is a regular road work detour in the Twin Cities area to just go "through the loops" to get around a ramp closure.

[triplemultiplex]

I once blew someone's mind by guiding them through the two cloverleaf turnaround after they missed an exit.  Probably from as much that I knew the configuration of the next interchange from memory in an age before everyone had GPS navigation.  And I definitely didn't live in that city, so it was a really solid roadgeek flex.

I have done the three loops to make the 'right' turn at 90/290 outside of Chicago when the EB->SB ramp was really backed up at the toll booth.  "Let's see, giant fustercluck at that plaza or no waiting at the other one meant for NB IL 53.  Well that's an easy choice."

[oscar]

I often used not only cloverleafs, but also roundabouts, to make a safe and legal U-turn. That's about the only thing I like about roundabouts.

[1995hoo]

The key is to know when an interchange that at first blush looks like a cloverleaf in fact is not. I can think of several where one loop was removed for various reasons (two of them to allow HO/T lane ramps; others to eliminate weave areas that caused traffic problems).

[jeffandnicole]

NJDOT signs it when appropriate.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MjP97Av6zjbDb8PcA

[jp the roadgeek]

NJDOT signs it when appropriate.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MjP97Av6zjbDb8PcA

And then there's the U-Turn Exit 3 ramp on the Palisades Parkway northbound to get to Exit 3 Southbound. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.985062,-73.9119851,3a,75y,10.84h,89.38t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s5_LeXIFriZxB7P0oOCXfuA!2e0

[CardInLex]

How about a second chance to continue going straight? I once took all four cloverleaves at I-265 and I-71 in Louisville before. I took the first cloverleaf from I-265 west to I-71 south and realized that traffic was a standstill, so I kept taking the cloverleaves to get back on to the same direction of I-265.

https://goo.gl/maps/EE9udPq7FRwVJyCw5

[Rothman]

How about a second chance to continue going straight? I once took all four cloverleaves at I-265 and I-71 in Louisville before. I took the first cloverleaf from I-265 west to I-71 south and realized that traffic was a standstill, so I kept taking the cloverleaves to get back on to the same direction of I-265.

https://goo.gl/maps/EE9udPq7FRwVJyCw5

Heh.  Yeah, no.  I've never done that.

[triplemultiplex]

I've done all four loops at a cloverleaf like that for work.  We needed data for all the ramps in an area; the most efficient way to get the loops of a cloverleaf are to run through them all at once like that.  Most recently did that in Nashville at I-24 and the Briley.

[Max Rockatansky]

The I-5 interchange with CA 152/CA 33 can function as described in the original post.

[webny99]

NJDOT signs it when appropriate.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MjP97Av6zjbDb8PcA

Wow. That's laughable when you look at where the Iron Skillet is located in relation to that sign. My question would be, has anyone ever gone that far out of the way to get to Iron Skillet?  Google recommends this route, which is about five minutes shorter and makes a whole lot more sense. No way you're going to backtrack almost four miles.

[tigerwings]

OhioDOT used the remaining 3 sides as a detour when the ramp from SB I-475 to WB US-24 was closed to rebuild in 2019.

[HighwayStar]

To take this to the extreme, you could just have four loops without the outer ramps, with signs indicating to exit unless you want to stay on route X. 

[webny99]

This thread reminds me of this MNDOT detour (due to a WB>NB ramp closure) that we followed back in 2018. It was a bit confusing at first, but became a joke by the time we were on the third loop.   

[1995hoo]

NJDOT signs it when appropriate.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MjP97Av6zjbDb8PcA

Wow. That's laughable when you look at where the Iron Skillet is located in relation to that sign. My question would be, has anyone ever gone that far out of the way to get to Iron Skillet?  Google recommends this route, which is about five minutes shorter and makes a whole lot more sense. No way you're going to backtrack almost four miles.

I think the signage is probably aimed primarily at the truckers. It's illegal for them to make the right turn from Dunns Mill onto Hedding. There's another sign prior to the US-130 interchange telling truckers headed for the truck stops at that location to continue south to Exit 52A:

https://goo.gl/maps/cYkUXHT5u5rggeuk7

[jeffandnicole]

NJDOT signs it when appropriate.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MjP97Av6zjbDb8PcA

Wow. That's laughable when you look at where the Iron Skillet is located in relation to that sign. My question would be, has anyone ever gone that far out of the way to get to Iron Skillet?  Google recommends this route, which is about five minutes shorter and makes a whole lot more sense. No way you're going to backtrack almost four miles.

I think the signage is probably aimed primarily at the truckers. It's illegal for them to make the right turn from Dunns Mill onto Hedding. There's another sign prior to the US-130 interchange telling truckers headed for the truck stops at that location to continue south to Exit 52A:

https://goo.gl/maps/cYkUXHT5u5rggeuk7

Exactly.  It was just a quick example.  Other blue signage shows the truck stop fuel stations on them.  The spot to the left of the Iron Skillet was for a Wendys at one of the truck stops, which was taken down.

[webny99]

I guess it makes a bit more sense in the context of the truck stops. Still, I would imagine those are most heavily used by Turnpike traffic, not I-295 traffic, and that's probably amplified by what seems to be Pennsylvania-esque freeway connectivity in that area.

[jeffandnicole]

I guess it makes a bit more sense in the context of the truck stops. Still, I would imagine those are most heavily used by Turnpike traffic, not I-295 traffic, and that's probably amplified by what seems to be Pennsylvania-esque freeway connectivity in that area.

You are reading way too much into this. It doesn't matter which highway may bring the most traffic.  They're simply blue service signage to guide motorists to gas stations and restaurants.  The gas stations and restaurants themselves pay for the signage, so they must feel that enough motorists come from I-295 to make it worthwhile.

[Revive 755]

How about a second chance to continue going straight?

I was a passenger with someone once who ended up doing this at the I-74/I-280/US 6 cloverleaf in the Quad Cities area.

[HighwayStar]

How about a variation of the Family Vacation gag, rather than going around the roundabout, just going around the clover. 

[skluth]

To take this to the extreme, you could just have four loops without the outer ramps, with signs indicating to exit unless you want to stay on route X. 

This comes close, although right turns are allowed at the ramp ends.

[PurdueBill]

To take this to the extreme, you could just have four loops without the outer ramps, with signs indicating to exit unless you want to stay on route X. 

This comes close, although right turns are allowed at the ramp ends.

Ah yes, the "everyone goes through the tollbooth" design of Kentucky parkways which stands as a remnant after tollbooths are gone.  Audubon Parkway has similar (https://goo.gl/maps/toiHHFw7TvjmcBd36) right down to the labelscar of old signage mounted on the bridge for tollbooth lanes.  Cumberland Parkway at US 127 used to be the same but was recently made into a conventional diamond (but with the labelscar still on the overpass).
With traffic stopping to pay a toll, the short weave was no big deal.  At regular speed, the loops-only design fails having such a tight weave.