Permanently signed detour route
A permanently signed detour route (also known as an emergency detour route or emergency diversion route) is a type of route which is used temporarily during special circumstances. Various areas have developed these systems as part of
A permanently signed detour route should not be confused with a "permanent detour". The latter would be used if a particular roadway section, such as a bridge, were closed permanently.[a]
Canada
Ontario
The province of
Though most EDRs are set up along 400-series highways, a select few have been established along two lane King's Highways, notably
History
By the spring of 2003, when the deployment of the system was complete, the entire Queen Elizabeth Way,
Following Halton's tests, the MTO and the Ontario Good Roads Association formed a joint task force, and using the RCAP as a model, developed the Emergency Detour Route program.[2]In 2010 and 2011, an aggressive program was instituted to place EDRs alongside major routes throughout the province.[5][6][7][8]
Alberta
Highway 2 uses Highway 2A as an Emergency Detour Route. On Highway 2, there are signs with flashing lights indicating when to take the next exit to use the detour route.
Germany
Every exit on the German Autobahn and some other expressways has a pre-posted "on-demand" detour route (German: Bedarfsumleitung) marked with a blue and white sign having a number starting with a "U" (short for "Umleitung", German for "detour".) In the event an Autobahn segment must be closed due to a crash, road work, or other incident, drivers can be diverted off the Autobahn to follow the numbered signs over the adjacent secondary road network to the next downstream Autobahn entrance. In the event that entrance is also closed, signs will indicate to motorists to follow the next sequentially-numbered route. Odd-numbered detour routes are used for northbound and eastbound travel, while even-numbered routes are used for southbound and westbound travel. The detours can also optionally be used to circumnavigate traffic jams.
As the detours use secondary roadways, federal administrative rules require consultation with local authorities when planning the detour routes, and routes are selected to minimize distance, stops (i.e. traffic signals), and disruption to nearby communities as much as possible.[9][10][11]
Sweden
Sweden use signs with white background and blue text for their permanent detour routes (Swedish: permanent omledningsväg) on numbered roads. According to the Swedish Transport Administration's guidelines a permanent detour route should be able to handle all the traffic when it comes to capacity, weight, height, etc. as sorting traffic is almost impossible. In cases that for some reason need traffic sorting the police will regulate the traffic. However, there may be different routes for different travel directions as to not create accessibility problems or queues due to limited capacity; in these cases a letter for the cardinal direction is added at the end. The guidelines also emphasize that the segments of the permanent detour route should be as short as possible with access to the main route whenever it is possible.[12]
United Kingdom and Ireland
The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland use yellow signs with a series of symbols for their emergency diversion routes.[13] Symbols come in a shapes, with a solid and hollow version, including circle, triangle, square and diamond. When a roadway is closed, a trigger sign is opened at the last junction prior to the closure, displaying a symbol, which motorists can follow to rejoin the route at a point beyond the closure.[14]
United States
The federal Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices introduced signage for these routes in its eleventh edition in December 2023.[15]
Michigan
These routes are signed with an auxiliary "Emergency" plate that is colored orange, indicating a temporary traffic control sign.
Emergency US 31, which offers an alternative crossing of the Grand River in the event that the bascule bridge in Grand Haven, Michigan is unavailable for motorists,[19] is one such route. According to MDOT, "this route would only be used in emergency situations and worst-case scenarios impacting the entire bridge structure."[19]
Missouri
Missouri uses "Incident By-Pass Routes" along its highways.[20]
Nebraska
Nebraska has created an alternate route for Interstate 80.[21][22]
New York
The New York State Thruway uses emergency detour signs to divert traffic from the Thruway in the event of weather conditions or other emergencies.[23][24]
Ohio
Ohio has established a permanent detour scenario of Interstate 70 east of Columbus, due to frequent flooding.[25]
Alternate Interstate routes also exist for I-70 near Dayton
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
The
Wisconsin
Wisconsin has "alternate route designations" on local surface roads and streets for all five primary interstate highways and three auxiliary interstates, along with several U.S. highways and state trunk highways.[34]
Notes
References
- ^ "Trail Status". Great Allegheny Passage. Archived from the original on July 25, 2013. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
- ^ a b c Murphy, Patrick (February 17, 2004). Ministry of Transportation's Emergency Detour Route Guidelines and Best Practices Initiative (PDF) (Report). Regional Municipality of Halton. Retrieved September 15, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Legall, Paul (February 9, 2001). "Halton Key to Unlocking Traffic Gridlock; Will Test Redirection Schemes for Other Cities". The Hamilton Spectator. Torstar. p. A02.
- ^ a b Murphy, Patrick (September 25, 2002). Halton Region Road Closure Action Plan (RCAP) Update: Phases 2 and 3 (PDF) (Report). Regional Municipality of Halton. Retrieved September 15, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ City of Ottawa. Ottawa Gets Emergency Detour Routes Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed on September 15, 2011.
- ^ Emergency detour routes help drivers get out of park Archived 2012-03-25 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed on September 15, 2011.
- ^ United Counties to Establish 401 and 416 Emergency Detour Routes (EDRs) Archived 2012-03-27 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed on September 15, 2011.
- ^ Emergency Detour Routes Show Drivers the Best Route When the Highways Close[permanent dead link]. Accessed on September 15, 2011.
- ^ "Bedarfsumleitungen: "Wenn auf der Autobahn nichts mehr geht"" [On-demand detours: "When the Autobahn isn't working"] (PDF). Straßenverkehrszentrale Baden-Württemberg (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-08.
- ^ "Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (StVO) Anlage 3 (zu § 42 Absatz 2) Richtzeichen" [Road Traffic Regulations (StVO) Appendix 3 (to § 42 paragraph 2) direction signs]. Gesetze im Internet (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-08.
- ^ "Allgemeine Verwaltungsvorschrift zur Straßenverkehrs-Ordnung (VwV-StVO) Vom 26. Januar 2001" [General administrative regulation for road traffic regulations]. Verwaltungsvorschriften (in German). Retrieved 2022-04-08.
- ^ Vikström, Gunnar (2011-09-13). "Omledning av trafik" [Redirection of traffic] (PDF). Trafikverket (in Swedish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2018-12-30. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
- Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
- ^ "Know Your Traffic Signs" (PDF). Her Majesty's Stationery Office. p. 107.
- ^ "Section 2D.59 Emergency Routing Signs and Plaques (M4-11 and M4-12 Series)". Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Chapter 2D (PDF) (11th ed.). Federal Highway Administration. 2023. p. 279-281.
- ^ a b "Southwest Region and Portions of University Region Final Regional ITS Deployment Plan (part 2)" (PDF). Michigan Department of Transportation. January 24, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
- ^ Schirripa, Nick (January 26, 2010). "I-69 Emergency Route Sign Installation Starts Jan. 26" (Press release). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 24, 2010.
- ^ Terry, Tim (March 11, 2009). "MDOT Installs New Emergency Signs on US 31" (Press release). Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
- ^ a b Kohrman, Benjamin (August 19, 2005). "MDOT Establishes US 31/Bascule Bridge Emergency Detour Routes" (Press release). Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
- ^ Engineering Policy Group (June 2007). "Incident By-Pass Route (EM-10) Signing" (PDF). Missouri Department of Transportation. Technical Bulletin Number 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 3, 2016. Retrieved July 8, 2013.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ Nebraska Department of Roads (2011). Supplement to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (PDF). p. M-3. Signs M4-1E and M4-1W.
- ^ Google (June 2013). "US-34 Hampton, Nebraska". Google Street View. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Emergency Detour Routes". NY State Thruway.
- ^ McDermott, Meaghan M. (January 12, 2016). "Thruway Authority posts emergency detour routes". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
- ^ District 5 staff. "I-70 Detour for High Water Event between SR37 and SR79" (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Google Street View (October 2017). "2931 US-40 Dayton, Ohio". Retrieved July 25, 2018.
{{cite web}}
:|author=
has generic name (help) - ^ "Red Detour, Black Detour, Green Detour, Blue Detour: What's It All About?" (Press release). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. October 10, 2000.
- ^ a b Carey, Art (January 11, 2008). "PennDot Targets Tie-Ups with Color". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
- WCAU-TV. January 3, 2008. Archived from the originalon January 9, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2008.
- ^ "PennDOT Detour Signs". Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission; Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 2, 2020 – via Chester County, Pennsylvania.
- ^ Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (2013). Publication 236: Handbook of Approved Signs (PDF). pp. 733–734. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2020.
Appropriate colors should generally be limited to blue, orange or black.
- Signs: D14-101 "Emergency Detour — Follow (Color) Arrow Sign" and D14-102 "Emergency Detour (Color) Trailblazer Sign". - ^ Cahill, Samantha (March 23, 2012). "Lewisburg Emergency Detour Signs Highlight Alternate Routes". Lewisburg, WV: WVNS-TV. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- West Virginia Parkways Authority. pp. 17–25. Retrieved September 18, 2012.
- ^ Statewide Traffic Operations Center (November 2014). "WisDOT Emergency Traffic Control and Scene Management Guidelines" (PDF). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. pp. 48–49. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
External links
- Media related to Permanently signed detour routes at Wikimedia Commons