Zipper method may be answer to traffic delays

Supporters say process improves flow of vehicles when merging

If there’s one word to sum up Yuma roadways right now, it might be “construction.” We’ve got road work zones in town, and we’ve got them on Interstate 8 just outside of Yuma.

Sometimes, the roads funnel into one lane, and then boom! — traffic just backs up, as if the concept of merging into one solitary lane is a completely foreign concept.

Over the Labor Day weekend, for example, the drive from San Diego to Yuma took over an hour longer than usual for one Yuma Sun employee. There were no accidents. Instead, the notion of merging repeatedly had brought the drivers to a complete stop.

That experience was an exceptionally odd one, but without question, there seems to be some dispute over how to properly handle merging for construction.

Recently, however, USA Today shed some light on the concept.

The key is the “zipper method.”

Apparently, drivers should fully utilize both lanes of traffic, and merge at the last point. The cars should take turns merging from the closed lane into the open one right where the road narrows, USA Today reports. The newspaper cites information from the Colorado Department of Transportation, which notes the zipper method can reduce delays by as much as 35 percent.

In fact, merging early is a problem that can create a more severe backup, because a lane is left unused, USA Today reports.

Cars.com takes the research a bit further, and notes that studies by the Texas Transportation Insititute, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration finds the zipper method definitely improves traffic flow.

However, Cars.com also cites the California Department of Transportation, which instead urges early merging, noting that sudden braking for a late merger can cause rear-end collisions. But if drivers are allowing for proper spacing between cars and not tailgating, that should help alleviate some of the concern.

In Arizona, the state Department of Transportation piloted a zipper merge east of Tucson in February. The agency noted in a press release as the project was under way that the lines were reduced, as were complaints.

When it comes to construction zones, it makes sense to find a way that moves traffic at a safe, consistent pace, which the zipper method appears to do.

What do you think, readers? Is the zipper method a better way to handle merging traffic lanes, or should one get over as soon as possible, to avoid issues further down the line?

Let us know. Share your thoughts online at www. YumaSun.com, or send us a Letter to the Editor at letters@yumasun.com