Left Lane Ends?

[bzakharin]

When most freeways drop lanes (when a wider section ends), the right lane either exits or just ends, but there are a few places where it's the left lane that ends. I can only think of two examples. One is on the Atlantic City Expressway westbound just past exit 31, while the other is on NJ 42 Southbound approaching Exit 12. Isn't it dangerous for the faster / passing lane to just end? The endings are well signed in both cases, but wouldn't it be just as easy to end a right lane instead? Are there other freeways where this happens? The ones that come close are 50/50 splits where the left lane exits and merges where the left lane of one roadway merges with the right lane of another, but that's not really the same thing.

[iBallasticwolf2]

When most freeways drop lanes (when a wider section ends), the right lane either exits or just ends, but there are a few places where it's the left lane that ends. I can only think of two examples. One is on the Atlantic City Expressway westbound just past exit 31, while the other is on NJ 42 Southbound approaching Exit 12. Isn't it dangerous for the faster / passing lane to just end? The endings are well signed in both cases, but wouldn't it be just as easy to end a right lane instead? Are there other freeways where this happens? The ones that come close are 50/50 splits where the left lane exits and merges where the left lane of one roadway merges with the right lane of another, but that's not really the same thing.

This usually happens in rural areas when a 6 laning of a freeway ends.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@38.724925,-84.861704,3a,75y,47.13h,91.82t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s1ofDIj9AeK0MMPmrZ11vOA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo1.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D1ofDIj9AeK0MMPmrZ11vOA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D100%26h%3D80%26yaw%3D158.26073%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656
I-71 in Sparta KY.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@39.662097,-83.517178,3a,48.6y,43.19h,90.42t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1scSAPX3tBIOSlnIT0WIpU2A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
I-71 in Washington Court House OH.

[Bickendan]

It's not uncommon here in Oregon.

[Zeffy]

Here's an example of this in Trenton, on US 1 SB. It might not be exactly as you are describing it, but at this point, US 1 is a freeway, and the lane does end. However, there are usually no problems with the reduction into one lane.

[intelati49]

South of Kansas City, I-49 drops from six to four lanes abruptly. There is a need for six lanes for a few more exits. It gets tight after the drop.

The traffic engineer knows at least

https://www.google.com/maps/place/16001+S+Outer+Rd,+Belton,+MO+64012/@38.8358976,-94.525606,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x87c0dc8b596fc0e7:0x5ac6207653941f8e

[02 Park Ave]

I was surprised when I first saw the left lane ending on NJ 42.  It seemed unusual and illogical.

On the PA Turnpike there is a mixture of endings for the truck climbing lanes in or going into two lane sectors.  For some of them, the left lane ends and the climbing lane becomes the right-hand travel lane.  For others, it is the climbing lane which ends by the slower moving traffic merging back into the right-hand lane.

[akotchi]

Here's an example of this in Trenton, on US 1 SB. It might not be exactly as you are describing it, but at this point, US 1 is a freeway, and the lane does end. However, there are usually no problems with the reduction into one lane.

I go through that transition on my way home every weekday evening.  The reduction is because of the downstream left entrance from U.S. 1 Business -- otherwise that ramp would probably have a stop sign.  Years ago, the merge was not a problem operationally, but nowadays there are frequent backups in the evenings, sometimes back to Whitehead Road.  Not usually a dead stop, but it does get very slow through there.

[jeffandnicole]

The law, and basic driving rule, is to keep right except to pass.  Thus, in my opinion, the left lane is always the one that should end.  This re-enforces keeping traffic to the right.  If it was the right than that ends, traffic has a tendency to keep to the left, and that breaks down the efficient flow of traffic.

Truck climbing lanes are an exception - the lane is purposely there for unusually slow moving vehicles. 

[swbrotha100]

I-10 in the Tucson area has this. Also I-19 in Tucson, US 60 freeway in Mesa.

[bzakharin]

The law, and basic driving rule, is to keep right except to pass.  Thus, in my opinion, the left lane is always the one that should end.  This re-enforces keeping traffic to the right.  If it was the right than that ends, traffic has a tendency to keep to the left, and that breaks down the efficient flow of traffic.

Truck climbing lanes are an exception - the lane is purposely there for unusually slow moving vehicles. 

If you are trying to pass someone and your lane ends you are in big trouble. If you are passing and the lane to the right of you ends, you just move one more lane to the left to keep passing (assuming at least two travel lanes after the lane ending and no one hogging the left lane). If you're being passed and your lane ends, if the above does not happen, you slow down and let the other driver get in front of you.

[froggie]

Isn't it dangerous for the faster / passing lane to just end?

Other way around, actually.  As Jeff noted earlier, the basic premise is to keep right except to pass.  Ending the right lane causes complications to that, especially in high truck volume areas where the trucks are often not allowed in the left lane.  As for your more recent post, theoretically you should have adequate signage and time to know a lane is ending so that you can adjust passing accordingly (or just not pass).

[bzakharin]

Isn't it dangerous for the faster / passing lane to just end?

Other way around, actually.  As Jeff noted earlier, the basic premise is to keep right except to pass.  Ending the right lane causes complications to that, especially in high truck volume areas where the trucks are often not allowed in the left lane.  As for your more recent post, theoretically you should have adequate signage and time to know a lane is ending so that you can adjust passing accordingly (or just not pass).

At least in my area, trucks are allowed in the *center* lane and often hang out in there long term going slightly faster than the trucks in the right lane. If the left lane ends they are suddenly not allowed to be in the lane they were in before, so how is that better? As for "keep right except to pass", many people I personally know (myself not included) as well as many I observe while driving stay in the center lane regardless of traffic volume in the right lane until their exit is coming up. I don't believe doing this is illegal in the same way as being in the left lane is. So again, they have to change lanes when the left lane ends. This is not theoretical. I see a mass exodus from the center lane on the AC Expressway when the left lane ends.

As for advanced signage, I can just as well argue that the trucks, etc have plenty of time to switch lanes when they see a "right lane ends ahead" sign.

[Mrt90]

The left lane ends on I-94 (West) at the Illinois / Wisconsin border. This is where US41 merges with I-94 (now also becoming I-41). There are two lanes that merge from US41 into I-94, one of them is an exit only lane for the Russell Road exit which is very close to the merge, one of them continues as the 4th lane of I-94/I-41, and the left lane of I-94 ends.  This is a fairly recent change when that area was redone, I think it was last year.  It is really bad because many people merging from US41 think they have to change lanes to get on to I-94, so you have many people trying to quickly move left 1 or 2 lanes (those in the far right have to move 1 left or exit on Russell Road but many think they have to move over 2 lanes). Then you have people in the left lane on I-94 merging right, many at the last possible moment, so you end up with six lanes (4 from I-94 and 2 from US41) trying to get into 3 lanes and not realizing that the left lane of US41 becomes the right lane (4th lane) of I-94/I-41. The other problem is that the lane lines in this area do not follow the natural lanes as the road was built (I'm not sure if I'm explaining this right) so people sometimes stray from their lanes without realizing it.  Oh yeah, and this all takes place on a curve on I-94 where you can't really see the car merging from US41 until the last minute, and if you are on I-94 and you want to take the Russell Road exit and there is traffic then good luck.

[hbelkins]

Truck climbing lanes are an exception - the lane is purposely there for unusually slow moving vehicles.

States treat them differently. Kentucky generally ends the right lane in such circumstances. OTOH, West Virginia has a lot of "Left Lane Ends" situations.

[Rothman]

NY 85 has a simultaneous left and right lane merge at the southern end of its freeway and its transition to two lanes.  Seen more than one person headed down the left lane get frustrated when there wasn't enough room to get around a slower car before the merge.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I notice when four-lane expressways end in Minnesota it's fairly common for the left lane to be the one that ends.

There's actually a "left lane ends" on the road about 1 1/4 miles away from me.

[Thing 342]

Common practise in SC I believe, it happens along along I-20 and I-26 (and maybe I-77) leaving Columbia, as well as on I-85 and I-95.

When I-64 narrows from 6 total lanes (4 mainline, 2 c/d) to 2 just past exit 255 in Newport News, the leftmost two lanes drop.

[froggie]

As for advanced signage, I can just as well argue that the trucks, etc have plenty of time to switch lanes when they see a "right lane ends ahead" sign.

It's not always that easy.  Due to the simple laws of physics, trucks have the extra length and weight and lack enough acceleration to merge as easily as cars.  Nevermind that drivers often don't leave enough space for said trucks to merge back in time.

[theline]

South of Kansas City, I-49 drops from six to four lanes abruptly. There is a need for six lanes for a few more exits. It gets tight after the drop.

The traffic engineer knows at least

https://www.google.com/maps/place/16001+S+Outer+Rd,+Belton,+MO+64012/@38.8358976,-94.525606,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x87c0dc8b596fc0e7:0x5ac6207653941f8e

Off the subject, but I got a kick out of the trailer park on the left side of the map. It's called Southfork and all the street names are characters from the "Dallas" TV series. It probably seemed like a great idea when they opened the park in the '80s. Of course, the series made a comeback recently.

[rickmastfan67]

I know in GA when they had several separate segments of I-95 widened to 6 lanes, when those segments ended, they normally ended the left lane.

[jakeroot]

It makes a lot more sense to end the number 1 lane since it's the passing lane. Theoretically, fewer people should be using it. Ending the outside lane is basically punishing users for using proper lane discipline.

[jp the roadgeek]

On CT 9 north of CT 72, there are 2 spots where the left lane ends and drivers have to move right. Happens as the result of the 2 lane flyover from 72 E to 9 N blending in, and the fact that much of the highway sat vacant for years, then later used to end just north of the final merger at CT 175. Only other examples I can think of are for left hand entrance ramps, but the above example takes a mile to occur.

[CtrlAltDel]

Have there been any studies done on which is safer?

[cl94]

From what I've seen, the left lane tends to end if there are long-term plans to widen the highway beyond the lane drop by adding lanes in the median or if widening was accomplished by adding a lane in the median. Makes construction easier and lessens impact on existing traffic. Ohio does this quite often, as does New York.

[iBallasticwolf2]

From what I've seen, the left lane tends to end if there are long-term plans to widen the highway beyond the lane drop by adding lanes in the median or if widening was accomplished by adding a lane in the median. Makes construction easier and lessens impact on existing traffic. Ohio does this quite often, as does New York.

Kentucky does it too. It makes the ROW requirments lessen and therefore make the project less expensive.