Truck bypass
Encyclopedia
A truck bypass is a roadway that provides physical separation of truck
s from passenger vehicles at a freeway interchange
in order to eliminate weaving
between passenger cars traveling at higher speeds and trucks traveling at lower speeds. Typically a truck bypass exits the main freeway some distance before the interchange it is intended to bypass; trucks are usually required to use the bypass, while passenger cars may choose between the bypass and the main traffic lanes. A truck bypass may take the form of a dedicated roadway (as in the Newhall Pass Interchange
) or a collector/distributor road (as in the El Toro Y
). The bypass allows vehicles traveling on it to exit the interchange in the same possible directions as the main line of traffic, and then merges with the respective freeway at some point past the interchange.
Truck bypass should not be confused with truck lane; a truck lane is a lane dedicated for trucks on steep inclines that is not physically separated from the main highway.
A notable example of a truck bypass is at the Newhall Pass Interchange
in Los Angeles
, where trucks traveling on Interstate 5
are separated from passenger cars onto a dedicated roadway – the original U.S. Route 99
over which I-5 was built – located east of the freeway.
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s from passenger vehicles at a freeway interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
in order to eliminate weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
between passenger cars traveling at higher speeds and trucks traveling at lower speeds. Typically a truck bypass exits the main freeway some distance before the interchange it is intended to bypass; trucks are usually required to use the bypass, while passenger cars may choose between the bypass and the main traffic lanes. A truck bypass may take the form of a dedicated roadway (as in the Newhall Pass Interchange
Newhall Pass interchange
The Newhall Pass Interchange is a highway interchange at Newhall Pass, north of Sylmar in Southern California, United States. It connects Interstate 5 with State Route 14 , and includes truck bypass roadways...
) or a collector/distributor road (as in the El Toro Y
El Toro Y
The El Toro "Y" is a freeway interchange in southern Orange County, California where the Santa Ana Freeway, Interstate 5, and the San Diego Freeway, Interstate 405 merge...
). The bypass allows vehicles traveling on it to exit the interchange in the same possible directions as the main line of traffic, and then merges with the respective freeway at some point past the interchange.
Truck bypass should not be confused with truck lane; a truck lane is a lane dedicated for trucks on steep inclines that is not physically separated from the main highway.
A notable example of a truck bypass is at the Newhall Pass Interchange
Newhall Pass interchange
The Newhall Pass Interchange is a highway interchange at Newhall Pass, north of Sylmar in Southern California, United States. It connects Interstate 5 with State Route 14 , and includes truck bypass roadways...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where trucks traveling on Interstate 5
Interstate 5 in California
Interstate 5 is a major north–south route of the Interstate Highway System in the U.S. state of California. It begins at the Mexico – United States border at the San Ysidro crossing, goes north across the length of California and crosses into Oregon south of the Medford-Ashland metropolitan...
are separated from passenger cars onto a dedicated roadway – the original U.S. Route 99
U.S. Route 99
U.S. Route 99 was the main north–south highway on the West Coast of the United States until 1964, running from Calexico, California, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Blaine, Washington, on the U.S.-Canada border. It was a route of the United States Numbered Highways, assigned in 1926 and existing...
over which I-5 was built – located east of the freeway.
See also
- Newhall Pass interchangeNewhall Pass interchangeThe Newhall Pass Interchange is a highway interchange at Newhall Pass, north of Sylmar in Southern California, United States. It connects Interstate 5 with State Route 14 , and includes truck bypass roadways...
, where a crash shut down a truck bypass tunnel for several days in October 2007 - New Jersey TurnpikeNew Jersey TurnpikeThe New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
, a toll road with a continuous car and truck split - El Toro YEl Toro YThe El Toro "Y" is a freeway interchange in southern Orange County, California where the Santa Ana Freeway, Interstate 5, and the San Diego Freeway, Interstate 405 merge...
, a freeway interchange that features a truck bypass