The on ramp is long, but the merge is very short. Some drivers seem to think that the 35 mph speed limit on the onramp applies all the way to the merge so they pull into traffic going 70 at 35. Some of the barriers are concrete but some are just a very wide painted triangle section with the diagonal lines. You are not supposed to drive on them, but some (me included) do.
I don’t do what some have done which is to cross the barrier into the right lane and then block the driver in the onramp that was only doing 35 to the end. Sometimes I feel like doing that but I don’t. I only cross the barrier when there is a gap in both lanes so I can go all the way, SAFELY, into the left lane. If I can’t do that safely, then I practice a little patience, which I am not know for.
Edit: the closer to the big city, the more likely the barriers will be concrete.
There was a time when the nation wide speed limit was 55. If everyone goes 55, it’s not so bad. Now they’ve raised speed limits to 70 and people drive 80 on roads that cauld have been made when 55 was expected.
There needs to be a right lane speed limit that is lower for sections of highway that go by entrance ramps. But government interest in safety kind of peaked in the 70s and 80s. Now things have changed to benefit big corporations who want to sell you electronic driving assistance features, and insurance companies that want to reduce minor crashes, which is where most of their payouts go to. They’re probably behind no texting while driving advertising. I recently read that speed has over taken distracted driving and DUI as the leading cause for crashes or fatalities.
If you drive along and look for skid marks and crashes you’ll see a lot of them by entrance ramps and lane mergings.
Let’s not forget, in 1965 the nationwide limit was 70 on the freeways, and 65 on two lane with 55 for night time driving. President Nixon changed it and kids now have no idea. I cursed him for it.
This is not a safety issue . Having the larger radius at the beginning of the off ramp allows people to exit the highway at a decent speed without having to slow down too much as to cause problems for following vehicles . The sharper turn at the end lets your vehicle get parallel to the roadway you want to join and your drivers side mirror will be more effective. If I can do this in a 24 foot box truck with 12000 pounds of bus windshields than it can’t be that big of a deal . Learn to drive .
I loved those cloverleafs. I used to test spring and stabilizer bar changes on them. Better than a skidpad. Test power off on the downhill loops and power on with the uphill ramps.
It is an obsolete design that doesn’t work once traffic gets a little heavy.
I think I know how to drive but I like the idea of turning the wheel at a consistent amount throughout the turn, instead of having to tighten the turn half way down the ramp. Just a smoother deceleration and ride. Sure I can see and follow the road but but changing the radius half way through makes for a choppy ride.
55mph was NOT federal. Speed limits are controlled by the states. What Nixon did was hold back federal funding if the states didn’t lower their speed limits. NH NEVER officially lowered their speed limits. They just changed the signs. But officially the speed limit on I-93 was 75.
I agree as to off-ramps, but my original question was regarding on-ramps, where you’re going 25-35 to make the turn and have to slow down right before you need to merge with freeway traffic travelling at 65-80 mph (here in Sacramento, speed limit signs are considered suggestions, or decorations.