For this week’s Highway Feature, I thought I’d do something a little different
Route 128 (known as I-95 outside New England) is an overcrowded generally 6-lane urban/suburban freeway between Route 9 and Route 24 during rush hour. Rather than widen the road, the local powers-that-be decided to permit drivers to use the shoulder (the “breakdown lane” in New England-speak) as a travel lane during rush hours.
It can be a disconcerting experience if you’re just passing through the area, like I was when I took this picture. The entrance ramps lose their acceleration lanes, traffic wanders a little bit in/out of the shoulder because of the optical illusion created from striping varying between shoulder and acceleration/deceleration lane….
It’s a “fun” experience, in other words.