Median breaks

[roadfro]

Nevada DOT now signs paved crossovers with a "No U Turn" symbol sign and a plaque underneath reading "Authorized Vehicles Only". (I personally think the plaque should say "Except Authorized Vehicles" or "Authorized Vehicles OK" instead, to better convey the intent.)

To mark the actual location of the crossover, NDOT has a object marker which is a vertical black rectangle with two blue squares on either end. The object marker is posted on both upstream and downstream edges of the crossover pavement, as well as a specific distance upstream of the crossover (not sure how far upstream this is).

Example on I-580 near the Galena Creek Bridge (the U-turn sign is larger than on conventional divided highways in this example).

[hbelkins]

I just wonder -- would a DOT employee, driving their own personal vehicle, be considered "authorized" if they were using a median crossover for roadgeeking purposes?

I may end up having to do that this week to get a full view of every approach of the new I-69/Western Kentucky Parkway/Pennyrile Parkway interchange. There are exits within a mile or two on both sides of the WK, and a state police post in the median of the WK just east of the interchange, but it's about 12 miles to an interchange west of the interchange on the portion of the WK that is now I-69.

I've thought about buying a couple of KYTC logo magnets to put on the doors of my vehicle for just such purposes.

[cl94]

I just wonder -- would a DOT employee, driving their own personal vehicle, be considered "authorized" if they were using a median crossover for roadgeeking purposes?

I may end up having to do that this week to get a full view of every approach of the new I-69/Western Kentucky Parkway/Pennyrile Parkway interchange. There are exits within a mile or two on both sides of the WK, and a state police post in the median of the WK just east of the interchange, but it's about 12 miles to an interchange west of the interchange on the portion of the WK that is now I-69.

I've thought about buying a couple of KYTC logo magnets to put on the doors of my vehicle for just such purposes.

Show your ID if you get pulled over. Magnets might not hurt as well.

[PColumbus73]

Around Christmas last year, my family and I drove up to New York. On the NJTP, I noticed people cut between the 'Cars Only' lanes and the 'General Purpose' lanes using the crossovers

[jeffandnicole]

I just wonder -- would a DOT employee, driving their own personal vehicle, be considered "authorized" if they were using a median crossover for roadgeeking purposes?

I may end up having to do that this week to get a full view of every approach of the new I-69/Western Kentucky Parkway/Pennyrile Parkway interchange. There are exits within a mile or two on both sides of the WK, and a state police post in the median of the WK just east of the interchange, but it's about 12 miles to an interchange west of the interchange on the portion of the WK that is now I-69.

I've thought about buying a couple of KYTC logo magnets to put on the doors of my vehicle for just such purposes.

DOT employees, or anyone for that matter, not performing their duties in the normal course of business, can't use the u-turns.  And if you were to be in an accident with those logos and not on state business, now not only did you make an illegal U-turn, but you're also mis-using state equipment.

[hbelkins]

If it doesn't belong to the state, how can I misuse state equipment? :-p

[cl94]

If it doesn't belong to the state, how can I misuse state equipment? :-p

I was going to mention that. It's his personal car, but with a KYTC magnet.

[1995hoo]

Around Christmas last year, my family and I drove up to New York. On the NJTP, I noticed people cut between the 'Cars Only' lanes and the 'General Purpose' lanes using the crossovers

Pretty common in slow traffic. I've also seen people drive over the curb separating the local and express lanes on I-95 approaching the GW Bridge on the Jersey side when traffic is slow.

[jeffandnicole]

If it doesn't belong to the state, how can I misuse state equipment? :-p

Then it's probably not an authorized vehicle either!

If it doesn't belong to the state, how can I misuse state equipment? :-p

I was going to mention that. It's his personal car, but with a KYTC magnet.

Then it's probably not an authorized vehicle!!

[cl94]

He never said it was an authorized vehicle

[D-Dey65]

In Florida on I -10 there are crossovers for hurricane evacuation contra flow, just east of 295 and 75. They are blocked with plastic pylons.

Other freeways in the Southeast and gulf coast have it as well

Like I-95 in southern North Carolina.

[PColumbus73]

In Florida on I -10 there are crossovers for hurricane evacuation contra flow, just east of 295 and 75. They are blocked with plastic pylons.

Other freeways in the Southeast and gulf coast have it as well

Like I-95 in southern North Carolina.

That's interesting, when I was a kid going from Fayetteville to Florence, SC, I thought the pavement in the median was part of old US 301.

[Rothman]

I've thought about buying a couple of KYTC logo magnets to put on the doors of my vehicle for just such purposes.

At least up here, government logos can be trademarked and, in essence, you'd be impersonating a state "official."  If you were caught, you may make the news, if only because weirdos that do this sort of thing bring ratings.

Like someone else said, doesn't matter if you're a state employee or not.  If you're just gallivanting around on your own and not fulfilling your professional duties, what you're doing is illegal.  At least up here, even if you were in an official DOT vehicle (say one of the Dodge Caravans NYSDOT has), a state trooper might raise an eyebrow.

Of course, it's not very likely that you'd get caught just using the turnaround, anyway.