Taking the long way around an island

[roadman65]

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.6050263,-77.4541651,3a,37.5y,259.68h,85.04t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1swFFadAfvOEOVw6BM6TuPCw!2e0  In this image taken from GSV on Wilmer Avenue in Richmond, VA at US 1, you will see that traffic bound for I-95 S Bound is directed not to use the right turn cut off onto US 1 N Bound, but to pass through the actual signalized intersection.  This, of course, is to prevent weaving on US 1 as I-95 S Bound is the first left turn to the right on US 1.  US 1 is multilaned here, and of course we all know what happens when a motorist turns onto an arterial from one side of the road and immediately turns off of it on the other side.

Anyway, are there other such places that do that to prevent such maneuvers?

[Roadsguy]

There are a lot of them. Here are a few that I can think of off the top of my head that I've found:

• I-95 at US/DE 202 in Wilmington
• VA 28 at Old Ox Road in Virginia near DC
• Farther up the road, we have soon to be a double at Nokes Blvd

Not sure if all of these count, as they're all right-only anyway, but they function like the first example by stopping people from cutting across all 2-3 lanes of the road to immediately turn left.

[froggie]

Plenty of these exist, whether via bollard or using an actual curb.

[The High Plains Traveler]

Two of them at this intersection  - the one on the left, U.S. 50 at Elizabeth St. in Pueblo CO - alone. Westbound on 50, traffic wishing to turn left at a side street just north of the intersection is directed around the island, and northbound on Elizabeth, traffic intending to go north on I-25 is directed around the island. You can see how the islands are curved to facilitate traffic turning around their perimeter.

[Brandon]

Two of them at this intersection  - the one on the left, U.S. 50 at Elizabeth St. in Pueblo CO - alone. Westbound on 50, traffic wishing to turn left at a side street just north of the intersection is directed around the island, and northbound on Elizabeth, traffic intending to go north on I-25 is directed around the island. You can see how the islands are curved to facilitate traffic turning around their perimeter.

Looks like a third nearby at the SPUI for sbd I-25 exiting traffic to go to US-50 wbd or to the frontage road.

[Darkchylde]

There's one of these if you're going westbound on I-435 in southern KC. Approaching the Wornall Road exit, signage directs motorists looking to use West 103rd to get off at the State Line Road exit. If you do get off at Wornall, you'll find a sign stating that there's no left turns onto 103rd allowed by traffic getting off the Interstate. This is further punctuated by a double white line cutting off the left turn lane.

It's mainly because you would have to weave across four lanes in the span of about 50 feet.

[The High Plains Traveler]

Two of them at this intersection  - the one on the left, U.S. 50 at Elizabeth St. in Pueblo CO - alone. Westbound on 50, traffic wishing to turn left at a side street just north of the intersection is directed around the island, and northbound on Elizabeth, traffic intending to go north on I-25 is directed around the island. You can see how the islands are curved to facilitate traffic turning around their perimeter.

Looks like a third nearby at the SPUI for sbd I-25 exiting traffic to go to US-50 wbd or to the frontage road.

That isn't a frontage road; it's Elizabeth Street, a busy local arterial and, in fact, historic U.S. 85-87. Those SB ramps from I-25 to WB 50 are a little strange. I've lived here 12 years and still don't know which I should use (though I don't use that ramp often). The more easterly ramp is designed to allow traffic to shoot across 50, traffic permitting, to make a left turn onto Elizabeth. Good luck with that; this space is filled most of the time. The more westerly one is for traffic to either merge onto 50 or go right on Elizabeth.

The aerial should show the problem posed by the proximity of the busy 50/Elizabeth intersection and the I-25 interchange. There just isn't enough storage space for WB 50 between the I-25 ramps and Elizabeth. CDOT constantly tweaks the phasing of the signals at the two intersections, and it varies during the day.

[NE2]

These are very common at suburban interchanges, where most traffic turning right off the ramp can merge in at speed, but traffic immediately turning left must make a hard right at the light.

[Brandon]

These are uncommon around Chicago.  I can't recall seeing one of them before.

[jakeroot]

These are hilariously common in the Seattle area. Most ramps with slip lanes at the intersection include two right turns: one via the slip lane, the other via the intersection. As has been pointed out already, this is to serve those who are going to immediately turn left after the right turn.

WSDOT likes to use these for HOV ramp-meter bypasses (white is HOV and leads past the ramp meter, green is general traffic and leads to the ramp meter) (GOOGLE MAPS LINK):

[1995hoo]

I have a feeling if they tried that sort of thing around here, people would ignore how the planners want you to go and would use the turning lane to the right of the island regardless of whether it means forcing your way across to turn left, especially if going around the island might require stopping for a red light. You'd pretty much have to install curbs to force people to refrain from cutting over (I can think of a number of curb-separated left-turn lanes).

[dfwmapper]

WSDOT likes to use these for HOV ramp-meter bypasses (white is HOV and leads past the ramp meter, green is general traffic and leads to the ramp meter)

There are several of those along CA 65 near Sacramento.
http://goo.gl/maps/hlQs2
http://goo.gl/maps/VR6OA

And a really weird one at http://goo.gl/maps/mpi4W since it's not an HOV lane. Is the point of these to prevent pedestrians from having to to cross 2 free-flowing lanes at once? That would make some sense.

[jakeroot]

WSDOT likes to use these for HOV ramp-meter bypasses (white is HOV and leads past the ramp meter, green is general traffic and leads to the ramp meter)

There are several of those along CA 65 near Sacramento.
a really weird one at http://goo.gl/maps/mpi4W since it's not an HOV lane. Is the point of these to prevent pedestrians from having to to cross 2 free-flowing lanes at once? That would make some sense.

I can only assume the purpose is for eventual HOV expansion. But as it stands, that is really weird indeed.

I have a feeling if they tried that sort of thing around here, people would ignore how the planners want you to go and would use the turning lane to the right of the island regardless of whether it means forcing your way across to turn left, especially if going around the island might require stopping for a red light. You'd pretty much have to install curbs to force people to refrain from cutting over (I can think of a number of curb-separated left-turn lanes).

That's not to say people don't do that at all around here, but it's true that people here tend to follow signs, and if a sign directed them to turn right instead of using the slip lane, people would. It's sort of annoying if you're an HOV and willing to use the right turn instead of the slip lane, and the signal is red.

[jeffandnicole]

DE 1 South to US 40 West in Delaware ( http://goo.gl/maps/c27yN ):  In order to reach the Eden Square shopping center (Lowes, Giant, among others) from Rt. 1 South, one stays to the left coming down the ramp, then makes a right turn into the left turn lane.  Previously, traffic could stay to the right coming down the ramp but would then quickly need to merge over 3 lanes to get to the turn lane.  DelDOT extended the curbing for the turn lane to prevent this when they instituted the new traffic pattern.

[02 Park Ave]

At the intersection of Park Drive and Haddonfield Road in Cherry Hill NJ, the lane markings indicate the long way is to be taken to make a left turn onto NJ 70 westbound; but, nobody does it.

[roadman65]

At the intersection of Park Drive and Haddonfield Road in Cherry Hill NJ, the lane markings indicate the long way is to be taken to make a left turn onto NJ 70 westbound; but, nobody does it.

The same coming off the JYP ramp from I-4 Westbound.  The traffic for JYP SB is supposed to go the long way, but nobody does it.

[mrsman]

WSDOT likes to use these for HOV ramp-meter bypasses (white is HOV and leads past the ramp meter, green is general traffic and leads to the ramp meter)

There are several of those along CA 65 near Sacramento.
a really weird one at http://goo.gl/maps/mpi4W since it's not an HOV lane. Is the point of these to prevent pedestrians from having to to cross 2 free-flowing lanes at once? That would make some sense.

I can only assume the purpose is for eventual HOV expansion. But as it stands, that is really weird indeed.

I have a feeling if they tried that sort of thing around here, people would ignore how the planners want you to go and would use the turning lane to the right of the island regardless of whether it means forcing your way across to turn left, especially if going around the island might require stopping for a red light. You'd pretty much have to install curbs to force people to refrain from cutting over (I can think of a number of curb-separated left-turn lanes).

That's not to say people don't do that at all around here, but it's true that people here tend to follow signs, and if a sign directed them to turn right instead of using the slip lane, people would. It's sort of annoying if you're an HOV and willing to use the right turn instead of the slip lane, and the signal is red.

This is definitely a weird way of separating HOV from non-HOV traffic on a ramp.  From the WSDOT and CA-65 examples, it would seem that the only reason one would make the hard right is if the curb lane is congested due to the ramp meter.  HOV traffic can go the longer way and make the turn at the intersection.  But it is not intuitive.  And from my own view on GSV, it seems that there is not enough signage on the street to guide HOV traffic to do this.  You sort of have to know the area well.

IMO, it would be better if the slip ramp were two lanes wide and there was a sign indicating that the left of the two lanes was HOV only.

[lordsutch]

Tennessee has added a couple of unusual island setups on SR 385 at Hacks Cross Road and at Houston Levee Road, to allow for right turns onto a multilane street for traffic that wants to turn left fairly immediately (for a car dealership and a shopping center, respectively); the latter is even signalized.

[kendancy66]

This intersection of Lake Forest Rd and Laguna Canyon Rd (CA-133), in Irvine CA, allows right turn from two different places.
http://goo.gl/maps/1jsxX

Not sure why they allow the non channelized turn to turn right at the intersection.  There is no benefit from doing this.  There is plenty of time to get to left lane for next turn (over 1/4 mile) from the channelized turn.  Also non channelized turn is no right turn on red.

[PurdueBill]

The I-71 SB ramp to OH 303 has a continuously-flowing channelized right turn onto 303 WB, and a right around the island at the signal for those who wish to then turn left onto Carpenter Rd.  The logo signs have to differentiate between the two rights but I'm sure there are many people who don't get it right away.

Keeping some traffic moving at peak times is a priority--it's not uncommon during heavy afternoon drive time for ramp traffic to nearly back up onto the mainline, even with the continuous right.