Which lane? Drivers double-take when it’s a double exit

Published 1:30 am Monday, November 7, 2016

Dave Martinson of Everett asks: “When traveling north on I-5 approaching the Broadway and 41st Street off-ramps, why can’t the signs be changed to indicate which of the right two lanes I should choose for either of the two exits? As it is now, you don’t know which lane to be in until just before you exit I-5.”

Tom Pearce, a Washington State Department of Transportation spokesman, responds: “Yes, on the rare occasions I exit there I also need to watch the signs to know which lane I should be in. For the record, the right lane goes to Broadway and the left goes to 41st Street.

“If we were just talking about an exit-only lane, a sign for a specific ramp would be appropriate. But we’re talking about two lanes from which you can exit, one exit-only and one through lane. The volume of traffic that wants to exit for the two destinations is way more than one travel lane can handle, so we have two lanes. If only one lane was provided, the right lane on I-5 leading up to the exit point would operate at a stop-and-go condition, which would cause safety and traffic flow problems on mainline I-5. By allowing some exiting drivers to use the mainline I-5 lane that continues past the exit, we are able keep all lanes on I-5 moving.

“Our standard practice is to let the exiting traffic decide which lane is best under the prevailing conditions. Once drivers exit, they have about a quarter-mile from exit point to where the ramps split for 41st or Broadway. That gives people sufficient distance to change lanes safely for their destination.”

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