Jersey Freeway, Michigan Left, Arkansas Freeway, etc.

[Henry]

Seeing that these terms obviously reflect the unique features in their respective states, when were they first coined?

Can you think of any other terms similar to the above?

[jakeroot]

Seeing that these terms obviously reflect the unique features in their respective states, when were they first coined?

Can you think of any other terms similar to the above?

If I understand the question, you are asking to see what interesting road features are named after states?

Texas T comes to my mind (HOV exit ramps from the left side of a freeway). Quite a few of them here in the Pacific Northwest. Also, annoying because the cops like to sit on them and use the ramp to pull you over.

EDIT: I notice you spend time in Seattle. Perhaps you are aware of them already.

[jeffandnicole]

Sometimes the term officially carries on thoughout the nation, such as the Jersey Barrier.

[Big John]

Texas U-turn - special lane so 2 one-way ramps avoid the intersection just ahead of it
Texas barrier - more attractive than solid concrete

[Alps]

The question is as much "when" as "what other ones."

"Jersey barrier" is so named because NJ pioneered testing various median barriers in the early 1950s. Until that point, other states were using guiderail (mostly cables) when they needed a barrier, and mostly just had narrow grass medians with no barrier at all. There is still a short stretch of original Jersey barrier on US 322, much lower than the modern spec and shaped slightly differently, but with the characteristic "hips" on the side.

"Jersey freeway" is a roadgeek-ism from the late 1990s on MTR, and isn't used outside our narrow world.

"Michigan left" I believe is actually quite an old term, pre-WWII in origin possibly.

[Alps]

Texas U-turn - special lane so 2 one-way ramps avoid the intersection just ahead of it
Texas barrier - more attractive than solid concrete

"Texas frontage roads" - a setup where both frontage roads are 2-way instead of 1-way, but there are still slip ramps to and from the highway in the middle. The "wrong" frontage direction has to STOP for exiting slip ramp traffic as well as entering "right-direction" traffic making a left.

[Brandon]

"Michigan left" I believe is actually quite an old term, pre-WWII in origin possibly.

Nope.  It dates from 1960.

Michigan Left

[sdmichael]

The question is as much "when" as "what other ones."

"Jersey barrier" is so named because NJ pioneered testing various median barriers in the early 1950s. Until that point, other states were using guiderail (mostly cables) when they needed a barrier, and mostly just had narrow grass medians with no barrier at all. There is still a short stretch of original Jersey barrier on US 322, much lower than the modern spec and shaped slightly differently, but with the characteristic "hips" on the side.

US 99 had a section of concrete barrier along Grapevine Grade in 1946. A different design but still a pioneer in modern concrete barriers. A few sections of this original barrier still exist in the Grapevine area today.

[hbelkins]

Texas Twist -- a type of guardrail end treatment. Run over one and it can and will launch your vehicle into the air. Kentucky is actively replacing these.

[bugo]

Oklahoma Y

[The High Plains Traveler]

Florida T.  Side road intersects divided highway. Direction of travel on the highway same side as the side road has a signal, while opposite side traffic does not have a stop indication and side road traffic merges (there may be a permanent green straight-ahead indication). I have only seen this term in a recent CDOT traffic study for my area.

[vtk]

Ohio Super-Two

A two-lane undivided road with no access to adjacent properties, and high-speed design (low curvature).  Grade separation optional.  This is a corner case of expressway.

Example: US 33 between Athens and Darwin.

Usage: I first heard this term in GreatLakesRoads Yahoo! Group about 10 years ago.  Apparently ODOT just calls this a super-two, though roadgeeks usually require full grade separation to apply that term.  I have heard non-roadgeeks from southeastern Ohio refer to the aforementioned example as "the super-two".

[hotdogPi]

Ohio Super-Two

A two-lane undivided road with no access to adjacent properties, and high-speed design (low curvature).  Grade separation optional.  This is a corner case of expressway.

Example: US 33 between Athens and Darwin.

Usage: I first heard this term in GreatLakesRoads Yahoo! Group about 10 years ago.  Apparently ODOT just calls this a super-two, though roadgeeks usually require full grade separation to apply that term.  I have heard non-roadgeeks from southeastern Ohio refer to the aforementioned example as "the super-two".

Would the southern 6 miles of MA 125 qualify?

[Ned Weasel]

What is an "Arkansas freeway?"

[jakeroot]

Florida T.  Side road intersects divided highway. Direction of travel on the highway same side as the side road has a signal, while opposite side traffic does not have a stop indication and side road traffic merges (there may be a permanent green straight-ahead indication). I have only seen this term in a recent CDOT traffic study for my area.

I suppose Florida T works. I think the technical term is a "continuous green T-intersection" (though it's often called either a Turbo T, High T, or a Seagull intersection).

[roadman65]

That is exactly one intersection on Sandlake Road near Kirkman Road in Orlando.

NJ once had some similar at the Garden State Parkway Exit 131 and 137 where the left turn would be made before the intersection that was a T.  Then those turning left from the main road onto the ramps would be to the right sort of you on the ramp turning left.  I guess it was a 3 Y intersection you could say.  The advantage of this is where you can make left turns without interfering with each other like a traditional T where turning out onto the main road has that other left turn car on the main road who is waiting to turn is well become sort of a standoff to you.  This one did avoid that situation as you only had to wait for the through movements only. 

[codyg1985]

What is an "Arkansas freeway?"

I that was coined by other members of the forum to describe either that Arkansas typically does "four lane" highways by doing a five lane, undivided facility for most if not all of its length. Or, it could refer to how Arkansas typically builds one side of a freeway at at a time, and then later (perhaps much later) comes back and builds the other side. This technique is being used to build I-49 (Bella Vista Bypass) north of Bentonville, AR, the I-69 segment around Monticello, AR, and the AR 530/I-530 connector between Pine Bluff and Monticello. At one time, US 82 around El Dorado, AR was a two-lane super-2 as well.

[cpzilliacus]

Texas Twist -- a type of guardrail end treatment. Run over one and it can and will launch your vehicle into the air.

Agreed.  One of the worst-ever wrecks on the I-95 part of the Capital Beltway (in Largo, Prince George's County, Maryland) took place in 2002 where there was not a Jersey wall on the median, but there were guardrails with the Texas Twist end treatment. 

There were other contributing factors, including speed, cell phone use and driver inexperience, but the Texas Twists took a terrible toll.  It was so bad that the NTSB was called in to investigate.  You can read the NTSB report here (.pdf, 1.92 MB).

Kentucky is actively replacing these.

I believe that Maryland has gotten rid of all of them on the state-maintained network, though there might be some on roads that are county or municipal maintenance.

[hbelkins]

Some friends of mine had two of their sons killed in a wreck on the Mountain Parkway. The boys had been to a concert in Indianapolis and decided to drive home that night. The driver fell asleep about 40 miles from home and ran off the road. The tire ran upon the turned-down guardrail end and launched into the air. The wreck killed both of them. There are two big crosses on the right side of the eastbound lanes that mark the spot.

[vtk]

Ohio Super-Two

A two-lane undivided road with no access to adjacent properties, and high-speed design (low curvature).  Grade separation optional.  This is a corner case of expressway.

Example: US 33 between Athens and Darwin.

Usage: I first heard this term in GreatLakesRoads Yahoo! Group about 10 years ago.  Apparently ODOT just calls this a super-two, though roadgeeks usually require full grade separation to apply that term.  I have heard non-roadgeeks from southeastern Ohio refer to the aforementioned example as "the super-two".

Would the southern 6 miles of MA 125 qualify?

Yes, I think that fits.



I think the Texas Twist probably makes sense on gravel (or similarly low-speed) roads with deep ditches on the side.

[bugo]

An Arkansas freeway is the 5 lane undivided highway like those that exist all over the state.

[Brandon]

I think the Texas Twist probably makes sense on gravel (or similarly low-speed) roads with deep ditches on the side.

The Texas Twist, IIRC, was originally designed for the larger, heavier cars of the 1950s and 1960s.  The smaller, lighters cars of the 1980s and 1990s reacted differently to the end treatment.  Unlike their larger counterparts, they tended to flip instead of being redirected.

[mrsman]

I don't know if this fits here, as its more a driving practice then a highway feature, but we have the California stop where people slowly roll through stop signs (espcially all-way stop signs) and don't come to a complete stop.  This is becuase there are many areas particularly in the LA area like Beverly Hills that have stop signs at practically every block.  They are no longer traffic control devices, just a means to slow down the traffic.  They are not placed with proper regard to the warrants for placing stop signs - and the driving public ignores them as such.


Maybe we can also add in: Jersey Jughandles

[jeffandnicole]

I don't know if this fits here, as its more a driving practice then a highway feature, but we have the California stop where people slowly roll through stop signs (espcially all-way stop signs) and don't come to a complete stop.

More locally for me, also known as the South Philly Slide.

[US71]

An Arkansas freeway is the 5 lane undivided highway like those that exist all over the state.

Often created by taking a 4-Lane highway and re-striping it to 5, forcing large trucks to use two lanes.