Indiana Drivers Still Can’t Agree on This Road Construction Rule

It's one of the most misunderstood driving habits in Indiana, and every summer it seems to spark arguments, traffic jams, and even road rage.

We here in the Tri-State, especially in Evansville, are getting pretty used to seeing those orange barrels on the side of the road. There are so many orange barrels in the Evansville area right now.  Construction zones are everywhere. While it may be a little annoying to drivers who want to get home after a long day at work, the end result usually makes for an easier commute.

Let's talk about driving around lane closures in construction zones. When you're driving down the road and you see a lane closed ahead sign, your first instinct might be to change lanes and merge right away. You're waiting in line patiently to get through the construction, and then it happens. You see the construction barrels signifying that one lane is about to end, you're stuck behind a line of cars, and you see another driver zoom past you to avoid waiting in the long line due to construction.

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We all have seen it, some who are reading this are even guilty of merging last minute. Let's be honest, when we see it happen, we sometimes have a hard time letting those people merge just in spite. If you have to wait in a long line of traffic, they should too, right?! However, those "late mergers" are actually doing it right!

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Time To Utilize the Zipper Merge!

In light traffic, combined with high average speeds, an early merge makes sense. In moderate to heavy traffic, early merging creates congestion and frustration. So, those drivers who thought they were doing the right thing by merging early were actually part of the problem.

The people who are merging early create a long line of slow-moving traffic. This minimizes the amount of usable road and can cause some accidents. As drivers see “lane closed ahead” signs, they should stay in their current lane up to the designated merge point. Then drivers should take turns moving into the open lane. This practice, known as a zipper merge, is much safer than merging early, which causes congestion and more significant changes in speed.

In fact, according to INDOT, the zipper merge has several benefits, including:

• Reduces speed differences between two lanes
• Reduces queue length by up to 40%
• Reduces congestion and keeps traffic moving smoothly
• Creates a sense of fairness and equity that all lanes are moving at the same rate
• Brings order to the merging process

So, we should continue to use both lanes of the road all the way up to the lane-merging barrels in construction zones. Whether it's the Lloyd, I-69, or anywhere else that has a lane ending, give it a try on the roadways and see if it's a lot better than merging early and waiting in the heavy lines. You might receive a few nasty looks, but at least you know that you're actually doing the right thing.