Interstate Highway Construction Detours

Oakman · 02-07-2013, 08:55 AM

The one thing I hate when traveling on interstate highways is road construction that requires you to cross over to the opposite side of the highway. This turns the interstate into one-lane for each direction. When you cross over you find yourself traveling in what used to be the outside lane of a two-lane highway. That outside lane usually doesn’t have enough shoulder to pull onto in case of an emergency. I always worry about having a flat tire when traveling on these detours. Usually these detours are seven to fifteen miles long. I’ve decided that if I had a flat on the trailer I would limp to the next exit. I’m not so sure how I would handle a flat tire on my truck.

Here’s a picture of what I’m talking about. The “shoulder” on my side of the highway was no more than 4 feet wide and then sloped severely downhill.

Rugged Brown · 02-07-2013, 09:05 AM

And to make things even more challenging is trying to focus that lense while driving.

kenandterry · 02-07-2013, 09:16 AM

No different than for anyone else..............you do whatever you gotta do.

Limp along and hope for a spot to pull to the side ............somewhere!!!!!!!!

camper1999 · 02-07-2013, 09:17 AM

I would agree. I have gone through some construction areas where they put the concrete barriers on both side. It freaks me out when I look through my side view mirrors and it looks like a have less then a foot on both sides of my trailer. Of course no body goes the posted construction zone speed limit so everyone rides your @%&!

Oakman · 02-07-2013, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rugged Brown

And to make things even more challenging is trying to focus that lense while driving.

I've been called out. It does freak Petunia out when I take photos while driving at speed. In my defense though, I never said I was the brightest bulb in the package.

Rugged Brown · 02-07-2013, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oakman

I've been called out. It does freak Petunia out when I take photos while driving at speed. In my defense though, I never said I was the brightest bulb in the package.

Auto focus cameras do help in times like those. I do share your concerns when driving in these construction zones. I had a flat tire on my camper on the highway side while driving through a city freeway last summer. With no exit in sight, I pulled over on the shoulder and changed the tire. High speed traffic is unforgiving and I am sure vehicles passed within a couple of feet of me. It was a scary moment. We did get the tire changed in less than 10 minutes and back on the road again.

mjones12 · 02-07-2013, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camper1999

I would agree. I have gone through some construction areas where they put the concrete barriers on both side. It freaks me out when I look through my side view mirrors and it looks like a have less then a foot on both sides of my trailer. Of course no body goes the posted construction zone speed limit so everyone rides your @%&!

You're right. Those concrete barriers make it even worse, creating a situation where there is almost no margin for error and absolutely nowhere to pull over for a mile or two in some cases. Even if you don't have a flat, it can be white-knuckle towing and Pucker Factor 10.

whj77372 · 02-07-2013, 04:58 PM

But those concrete barriers stop head-on crashes or they are supposed to.

h20ski · 02-07-2013, 06:38 PM

I had a right front truck blowout with guard rail right up against the right lane. Narrow pull off and 200 yards to the end of the guard rail. Quick decision stop half in the road or ruin a rim. Because of very little traffic I stopped in the road. Immediately put out my warning triangle 100 yards behind 5th wheel and prayed no one hit me and began changing tire. Got luckey and within about 5 minutes a Sheriff's officer parked behind me with his lights on an watched me change the tire. All come out good.

You've got to make your de ision quick when it happens.

RamblerGuy · 02-07-2013, 08:18 PM

How about two lanes reduced to one lane, which was dirt and gravel on top of the pavement to raise the road above floodwaters? June 21, 2011, on US 12, east of Roscoe, SD. Our toad got VERY dirty.

There were temporary traffic lights at each end of the fill to alternate traffic, but semis crossed it so slowly that the light changed before they crossed. Drivers just ignored the traffic lights and went across after a line of trucks passed. Nobody seemed to get upset.

That mud was nearly black. Imagine crossing this at night during a hard rain with no other lights.

hkreck · 02-07-2013, 08:33 PM

The thing I hate about it is you drive along for 10 miles on one of these detours and their work on one section 100' long no other work happening else where.

mhartzel · 02-08-2013, 07:14 AM

I got stuck in a "1 lane each way with no shoulder" construction zone when the radiator in my truck blew out, while towing my camper. I had just passed an exit when it happened. The next exit was about 3 miles ahead. Has no choice but to continue on.
Thankfully, I didn't hurt anything but the radiator.

cfsoistman · 02-08-2013, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by camper1999

I would agree. I have gone through some construction areas where they put the concrete barriers on both side. It freaks me out when I look through my side view mirrors and it looks like a have less then a foot on both sides of my trailer. Of course no body goes the posted construction zone speed limit so everyone rides your @%&!

I hate those Jersey Walls on either or both sides. It just gives you the feeling if you sneezed it would be all over except the clean-up.
2 years ago on our way to Myrtle Beach there was road construction, as always, on the Capital Beltway 495. They had closed a 4 lane highway down to 1 lane and created a 5 mile backup. Once we passed all of the flashing lights on the shoulders and got to where the lanes actually went down to 1, there were 2 trucks parked on the road with flashing lights and 2 workers leaning against the front of one truck. At my exit, 95 South, where 75% of the traffic was heading, the road opened back to 4 lanes. Total length of the 1 lane roadway. 1/10th of a mile, never saw any work being done. This added more than an hour and a half to our travel time. I was originally in the left lane and could see everything over the Jersey Wall on my left. There was nothing for the half mile they used to transition down to 1 lane. I guess that the work was going to commense later that night? Everything looked complete including the shoulders and landscaping.

mike54 · 02-08-2013, 09:17 AM

driving in construction doesn't bother me when towing it's the idiots that really get me. 45 mph means 45 mph and that's what I'm doing, merging down to one lane doesn't mean cut off others just get ahead of everyone,

TURBS · 02-08-2013, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike54

driving in construction doesn't bother me when towing it's the idiots that really get me. 45 mph means 45 mph and that's what I'm doing, merging down to one lane doesn't mean cut off others just get ahead of everyone,

I'm with you!
NTPI'S thats what we call them!
( non-trailer pullin idiots)
They have no idea what it takes for you to slow down let alone stop when they blast in front of you and slam on there brakes just to be one vehicle closer to the merge for road construction.

Grrrrrrr NOW I'm fired up thinking about it

jeeplj8 · 02-08-2013, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whj77372

But those concrete barriers stop head-on crashes or they are supposed to.

I was travelling on I-70 near Warrenton several years ago when a semi hit the concrete median. It rolled and struck an Escalade travelling the other way. Decapitated the mother driving when it tore the roof off the Escalade. The kids in the back seat were injured as well.

They have since severely re-worked that section. But they found the concrete median barriers tend to cause semi's to roll over the barrier.

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