The recent conversion on N.C. 133 to dual right turn lanes onto the U.S. 17/74/76 onramp in Leland “was largely in part due to the significant right turning movement here,” says Benjamin T. Hughes, an assistant traffic engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation.
Hughes says that prior to the change, the through lane “was extremely underutilized due to it becoming a right turn drop lane after the interchange heading into Leland.”
During the morning commute traffic peak, there was a large volume of vehicles using Old River Road to circumvent traffic on N.C. 133, Hughes adds.
“This change over time, as motorists become familiar with the new traffic pattern, should have the effect of making the new right turn lane the preferred lane, as this lane turns directly into the lane that does not need to merge,” Hughes says. “This should have the effect of ending cut-through traffic on Old River Road.”
Lane designation arrows were added to the pavement prior to the intersection for advanced warning.
The idea behind dual receiving lanes for the onramp when it was designed “is to accept the dual left turn lanes from Village Road, where additional left turn storage is needed,” Hughes says.
“Unfortunately, because of the merging situation that follows, many motorists use only one of the lanes to avoid merging. This behavior is something that we (will) try to foresee on future transportation projects and determine alternatives.”
Date posted: February 3, 2010
User-contributed question by:
Anonymous
They should’ve made the old “thru” lane a thru or right turn lane. It would work even better if they did that. Many people still get in that lane, & go straight anyway since they made the change because the only remaining thru lane backs up so badly. Someone is going to be hurt if people continue to break the law & go straight in that right turn only lane.
I think this new way is more dangerous. It isn’t until you make the turn that you realize that far right turn lane immediately ends and you are trapped, while the people who want to go straight are getting in the turn lane by mistake. What was so wrong with people taking river road?- there is nothing down there to get in the way of.