Multi Lane Drop
Multi Lane Drop | |
A Multi-Lane drop on the M25 with the M26 | |
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A Multi Lane Drop is a term used for junctions which 2 or more lanes are lost due to the lanes being dedicated to take traffic to another motorway or road, however the lanes lost may merge again on the other side of the junction. Through junction traffic usually cannot use dropped lanes, so typically 2 or more lanes are dropped when a large proportion of the traffic changes direction at the junction. For it to count as a lane drop, the lanes have to leave the main carriageway on the left, TOTSOs do not count.
Different types of Lane drop at junctions
Single Lane Drop
Single lane drop is where lane 1 is dropped at a junction, these are fairly common on both the motorway and A road network. Sometimes Lane 1 will reappear on the other side of the junction as a lane gain.
Multi Lane Drop
This is the same as single, however 2 or more lanes are dropped from Motorway. The will typically require the road to already have 4 lanes in order for it to drop two lanes, however it is possible to drop two lanes from a three lane road, although none of these currently exist in the UK and would make driving a HVG in the 3rd lane a difficult task. Only 1 example of a 3 lane drop exists in the UK and that is between the M25 and the M4.
Some roads gain an aux lane to the left before the junction, these have been excluded as the lane is only gained for the purpose of holding traffic changing route.
List of Multi Lane Drops in the UK
TBC