Personal Injury Law

Georgia Spends $31.5 million to take away a Reversible Lane

By Jessica Smagacz

A major road project in Georgia this year includes taking away a lane, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

U.S. 78 in Gwinnett County, Georgia has a system of three reversible lanes. Apparently, they are so confusing and 'potentially hazardous,' that according to some local officials, 'it was worth $31.5 million to make them go away.'

DOT spokesperson Mark McKinnon said, 'Our official reason was, we looked at traffic volumes. With businesses taking hold in the suburbs, commutes are no longer headed solely downtown, he added, making many reversible lanes obsolete.'

What's the purpose of a reversible lane? Well, when there is lots of traffic with many commuters traveling in the same direction, this type of lane saves an 'extra lane's worth of space.' However, they require quick thought. 'Drivers must make split-second decisions about where to direct their 3,000-pound projectiles as they whiz along.'

Hopefully, this project will save confusion and prevent more car accidents occurring.

Full post as published by Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer on August 27, 2009 (boomark / email).