New turn lanes to limit dangerous collisions opened Friday on the State Road 45/46 bypass near I-69, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
INDOT added two lanes for U-turns, one between North Monroe Street and North Stonelake Drive for traffic headed west, the other east of North Stonelake Drive for traffic headed east. This reduced-conflict intersection prevents left turns across fast traffic.
“Drivers at an RCI turn right in the same direction of traffic, merge into the left lane, and then make a U-turn in the direction they intend to travel,” according to an INDOT webpage.
INDOT measured crash statistics from 11 similar intersections in the state and found that crashes which caused injuries or deaths dropped by nearly 80% after installation, probably because of fewer potential collision points.
Each U-turn has additional pavement across the road to let vehicles accelerate properly.
Read more: INDOT reducing speed limit on SR 46 through Ellettsville