Eternity RPC Board
06-22-2017, 10:45 AM
Ole Lomarre asked me a questions yesterday after I had left about the Michigan left. I wasn't around and so I figured I'd make a post about it.
The Michigan Left, sometimes called the median U-turn, or thrU-turn intersection, is simply another type of intersection. It is notable because it essentially eliminates traditional left turns. Simply put, you cannot turn left at most intersections on a road like this. These types of intersections are common in Detroit, where they are best known for, but are often found all over Michigan. Highland Rd (M-59) near where I am from also uses this style of intersection.
![[Image: MichiganLeftSigns.png]](http://www.michiganhighways.org/images/MichiganLeftSigns.png)
The beauty of this is you never have to cross significant lanes of traffic. At the intersection you either go straight or right -- that's it. If you want to go left, you make a right turn and then perform a u-turn at the next crossing, which are usually right by major intersections, as you'll see below. Smaller intersections do not have full intersections, typically, and to get on the road you will have to simply turn right and then perform the u-turn to move in the other direction.
![[Image: michigan_left_aerial_new.jpg]](http://www.michiganhighways.org/images/michigan_left_aerial_new.jpg)
Not everyone likes these intersections, for whatever reason. When used appropriately, they often save time at the intersection. Oddly enough, if you are lucky, you can sometimes actually make a left turn faster than you could go straight through the interesection, if you turn right on the red (something you can do sometimes) and then u-turn and move straight through the intersection.
To me, these are just another type of intersection. Once you know how to use them, they aren't that bad. You can always tell a new person to Michigan because they think they are the weirdest thing in the world. I've only seen someone attempt a left at one of these intersections two or three times, and one of the times it caused an accident. These aren't only Michigan features, however. If you go to the wikipedia page you'll see they have been implemented in other parts of the country and world, but not with the prevalence you would find in Pure Michigan.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your brief lesson on the Michigan Left.
![[Image: article_landing_telegraph_street_sign_7112.jpg]](https://d2nyfqh3g1stw3.cloudfront.net/photos/article_landing_telegraph_street_sign_7112.jpg)
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_left
The Michigan Left, sometimes called the median U-turn, or thrU-turn intersection, is simply another type of intersection. It is notable because it essentially eliminates traditional left turns. Simply put, you cannot turn left at most intersections on a road like this. These types of intersections are common in Detroit, where they are best known for, but are often found all over Michigan. Highland Rd (M-59) near where I am from also uses this style of intersection.
The beauty of this is you never have to cross significant lanes of traffic. At the intersection you either go straight or right -- that's it. If you want to go left, you make a right turn and then perform a u-turn at the next crossing, which are usually right by major intersections, as you'll see below. Smaller intersections do not have full intersections, typically, and to get on the road you will have to simply turn right and then perform the u-turn to move in the other direction.
Not everyone likes these intersections, for whatever reason. When used appropriately, they often save time at the intersection. Oddly enough, if you are lucky, you can sometimes actually make a left turn faster than you could go straight through the interesection, if you turn right on the red (something you can do sometimes) and then u-turn and move straight through the intersection.
To me, these are just another type of intersection. Once you know how to use them, they aren't that bad. You can always tell a new person to Michigan because they think they are the weirdest thing in the world. I've only seen someone attempt a left at one of these intersections two or three times, and one of the times it caused an accident. These aren't only Michigan features, however. If you go to the wikipedia page you'll see they have been implemented in other parts of the country and world, but not with the prevalence you would find in Pure Michigan.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed your brief lesson on the Michigan Left.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_left