Three lane roads ....

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

With everybody wanting to overtake I think they should bring back the three lane A road........all 1950s three lane roads have now been converted to two lanes but why not bring the three lane road back with the middle lane providing overtaking in both directions? ...it was a great design and I remember it well .... ....think about it, the middle lane would allow all those punters who only want to overtake the chance to be doing so all the time in their own dedicated lane !.....

[Graham.]

When this pat-time bus-lane is not active it's two lanes Southbound and one lane Northbound

It's not unusual to see Northbound drivers becoming confused abiut the status of the middle lane.

[ss]

The problem with the 3-lane is that no driver has the right of way, in my youth we had one near us and there were many head on collisions, that was 50 years ago when traffic was much lighter. It was due to all the accidents that they eventually converted it to a 2 lane.

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

but the drivers who just want to get in front at any cost would love them ........

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

not the same thing ....

[news19k]

Three lane stretches are not uncommon in NZ. However, they alternate the markings so that the middle is explicitly part of the side for one direction or the other.

#Paul

[Chris Hogg]

It would certainly decrease the number of boy racers, in pairs!

[alan_m]

Slightly different, but around my way they road planners seem to have started a fad for dual carriage ways to expand to 3 lanes at traffic lights. There may be some logic if one lane was dedicated for a left or right turn but the roads are marked as an optional right/left turn or straight on. In practice where these 3 lane traffic light junctions have been implemented 99% of drivers are going to go straight on. The other side of the lights the road then narrows back to 2 lanes within a short length of tarmac.

[Brian Gaff]

Really? It sounds like a nightmare to me, since all that would happen is a huge jam up toward the end of the lane or at the next set of traffic lights with folk trying to filter back into the other lanes. Maybe partition it off completely so you are committed and charge by the mile to use it. Brian

[Roger Hayter]

The fatal flaw was that people took the "both directions" bit too literally.

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

here too but that is cheating both directions need to be able to use the middle lane for it to work

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

just one advantage...less fart cans .....

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

good organ donor source ...

[Jim GM4DHJ ...]

no fun

[charles]

That's done quite frequently in the UK, too.

[newshound]

Same with A38 between Bristol and Gloucester in the 70's. I did 50 miles a day every day on a "works" coach. We typically passed the remains of an accident once a week. (Very heavy traffic before the M5 was open, of course).

[Tim+]

That can?t possibly be right. Jim says it was a great design. You?re not suggesting that he?s mistaken surely? ;-)

Tim

[Jethro_uk]

AKA "Tidal flow" ?

The Aston Expressway in Brum (6 lanes in places) sometimes runs that system. Or used to. I haven't been over in rush hour in years.

[dennis]

No it wouldn't, they just force the innocent they are overtaking off the road as they pull in.

If we must have three lanes then they need alternate two in one direction then two in the other as many of the roads are now.

[The Nomad]

PDFTT

;-)