Contraflow lane reversal is a program designed for quick emergency evacuation of an area. Incoming highway lanes to a city are changed to outbound lanes. This doubles the number of lanes available for outbound evacuation traffic. Crossover sections are used to move outgoing traffic to these lanes. All incoming traffic is blocked until the end of the program. Usually, the term is used to refer to reversal of lanes which are normally only configured for travel in one direction; changing the configuration of reversible lanes such as for rush hour is not normally considered contraflow lane reversal. Emergency evacuation is the movement of persons from a dangerous place due to the threat or occurrence of a disastrous event. ... Interstate 80, a freeway in California with many lanes and heavy traffic. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Reversible lane. ... Rush hour at Tokyo Station, Yamanote Line A rush hour is a part of the day with busy traffic and hence traffic congestion on the roads and crowded public transport; normally the two periods in a day when people are travelling to or from work or school. ...

Contraflow lane reversal is usually done to freeways and other controlled-access roadways. Use of contraflow lane reversal is generally considered to be an emergency measure only, as the contraflow lanes (and any associated ramps at interchanges) lack proper signage, signals, and other traffic control devices needed to orderly conduct traffic in the opposite direction. Generally, a significant number of police officers, or other officials, are needed to manually direct traffic during a lane reversal (especially at interchanges, where ramp traffic in the wrong direction must intersect with other roadways operating normally). High-capacity freeway interchange in Los Angeles, California. ... A typical rural freeway (Interstate 5 in the Central Valley of California). ...

For use in emergency evacuation

Read the article on Interstate highway for more information on facilitation of emergency evacuation plans for the United States. Interstate Highways in the lower 48 states. ...

Hurricane evacuation

Louisiana

Southeast Louisiana has an active program first used during evacuation for Hurricane Ivan in the summer of 2004. The program was designed to quickly evacuate the New Orleans metropolitan area and its out-lying regions through Interstates 10, 12, and 55. This, however, was a complete failure due to the lack of communication with the neighboring parishes and the "bottleneck effect" in the capital city of Baton Rouge. The normal commute time of two hours increased dramatically to 14 hours. Official language(s) English and French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rogue since Hurricane Katrina Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 31st 134,382 km² 210 km 610 km 16 29°N to 33°N 89°W to 94°W Population... Hurricane Ivan was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane, the fourth major hurricane, and the strongest hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. ... The New Orleans Metropolitan Area, or Greater New Orleans, is the largest metropolitan area in Louisiana, centered around New Orleans. ... Interstate 10 (abbreviated I-10 or in Texas IH-10) is the southernmost east-west, coast-to-coast interstate highway in the United States. ... Map of Interstate 12 Interstate 12 (abbreviated I-12) is an intrastate interstate highway located entirely within the state of Louisiana, United States. ... Interstate 55 is an interstate highway in the central United States. ... A parish is a subdivision of a diocese or bishopric within the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, and of some other churches. ... Motto: Authentic Louisiana at every turn Nickname: Red Stick Map Political Statistics Founded 1699 Incorporated 16 January 1817 Mayor Melvin Kip Holden Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 204. ...

The plan was changed for the summer of 2005 into a phased program sponsored by the Louisiana State Police.

The Louisiana state contraflow program was activated at 4:00pm CDT on August 27, 2005, in advance of the approaching Hurricane Katrina. Births 1407 - Ashikaga Yoshikazu, Japanese shogun (d. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes in American history. ...

Mississippi

Mississippi's contraflow plan was activated at the same time. The Mississippi program affects Interstate 55 and Interstate 59 in southern Mississippi. Contraflow along Interstate 59 continued from the Mississippi-Louisiana border, and stopped about 21 miles north near the town of Poplarville. Louisiana's program ended at 4:00pm CDT on August 28, 2005. Initial reports indicate that this activation has occurred much more smoothly than that of 2004. Official language(s) English Capital Jackson Largest city Jackson Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 32nd 125,443 km² 275 km 545 km 3 30°13N to 35°N 88°7W to 91°41W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 31st 2,697,243 23. ... Interstate 55 is an interstate highway in the central United States. ... Interstate 59 is an interstate highway in the southern United States. ... Poplarville is a city located in Pearl River County, Mississippi. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Texas

Authorities in Texas activated a contraflow plan in order to evacuate Houston and other coastal cities in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Rita. This was done on Interstate 45 northbound to a point just over halfway to Dallas, and on Interstate 10 most of the way to San Antonio. Official language(s) None. ... Houston redirects here. ... Hurricane Rita is the fourth-most-intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the most intense tropical cyclone observed in the Gulf of Mexico. ... Interstate 45 (abbreviated I-45 or in Texas IH-45) is an intrastate interstate highway located entirely within the state of Texas, United States. ... Dallas redirects here. ... Interstate 10 (abbreviated I-10 or in Texas IH-10) is the southernmost east-west, coast-to-coast interstate highway in the United States. ... San Antonio (the Spanish name of Saint Anthony) is a common toponym in parts of the world where the Spanish language is or was spoken: Argentina San Antonio, Jujuy province Belize San Antonio, Cayo District Chile San Antonio Mexico San Antonio, San Luis Potosí Philippines San Antonio, Quezon San Antonio...

Georgia

Georgia has a plan to reverse Interstate 16 west to near Dublin, in order to evcuate Savannah. As with other states, it fails to go the entire way to the next Interstate highway (in this case, Interstate 75 in Macon), potentially leaving traffic backed-up where there are little or no services available to evacuees. Interstate 16 (abbreviated I-16), or Georgia State Route 404, is an intrastate interstate highway located entirely within the state of Georgia, United States. ... Dublin is a city located in Laurens County, Georgia. ... Nickname: The Coastal Empire or The Hostess City Official website: Savannah, Georgia Location Government County Chatham Mayor Otis S. Johnson Geographical characteristics Area Total 202. ... Interstate Highways in the lower 48 states. ... Interstate 75 (abbreviated I-75) is an interstate highway in the midwest and southeastern United States. ... Macon is a city located in Bibb County, Georgia, USA. It lies near the geographic center of Georgia, approximately 80 miles (129 km) south of Atlanta, hence the citys nickname as the Heart of Georgia. ...

Florida

Florida's contraflow plan is extensive. The Florida Turnpike opens up its southbound lanes from Ft. Pierce to Orlando. Coming from Tampa, Interstate 4 becomes eastbound-only heading toward Orlando. Interstate 10 becomes westbound-only from Jacksonville to the intersection with Interstate 75. Alligator Alley, Interstate 75 through the Everglades, can be opened up in either direction depending on which direction the evacuation should be. State Road 528 between Brevard County and Orlando becomes west-bound only. Interstate 95 and the section of Interstate 10 in the panhandle are not used as contraflow evacuation routes due to the fact that they run parallel to the coastal danger areas. [1] Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 22nd 170 451 km² 260 km 800 km 17. ... The current logo for Floridas Turnpike Enterprise. ... Fort Pierce is a city located in St. ... Nickname: The City Beautiful Official website: http://www. ... Tampas skyline For alternate meanings, see Tampa (disambiguation) Tampa is a city located in Hillsborough County on the west coast of Florida. ... Interstate 4 (abbreviated I-4) is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Florida, United States. ... Interstate 10 (abbreviated I-10 or in Texas IH-10) is the southernmost east-west, coast-to-coast interstate highway in the United States. ... The Jacksonville skyline and the Acosta Bridge. ... Interstate 75 (abbreviated I-75) is an interstate highway in the midwest and southeastern United States. ... Alligator Alley (also Everglades Parkway) is a nickname for that section of Interstate 75 that runs from Naples on the west coast of Florida to near Fort Lauderdale on the east. ... An Anhinga perched on the boardwalk railing Everglades is also the name of a city in Collier County, Florida. ... The Martin Andersen Bee Line Expressway (soon to be renamed the Beachline Expressway), also known as State Road 528, is a limited access toll road connecting Interstate 4 at the International Drive tourist corridor in southwestern Orange County to SR A1A in Cocoa Beach, Florida. ... Brevard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. ... Map Interstate 95 (abbreviated I-95) is an Interstate Highway that runs 1,927 miles (3,101 kilometers) north-south along the east coast of the United States. ...

South Carolina

In South Carolina, Interstate 26 may be used in contraflow to evacuate Charleston, heading northwest toward Columbia. Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 40th 82,965 km² 320 km 420 km 6 32°430N to 35°12N 78°030W to 83°20W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 26th 4,012... Interstate 26 (abbreviated I-26) is an east-west main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. ... This article is about the city in South Carolina. ...

North Carolina

In North Carolina, Interstate 40 may be used in contraflow to evacuate Wilmington, heading northwest. Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 28th 139,509 km² 805 km 240 km 9. ... Interstate 40 (abbreviated I-40) is a major west-east interstate highway in the United States. ... For other places called Wilmington, see Wilmington Wilmington is a city located in New Hanover County, North Carolina. ...

Alabama

In Alabama, Interstate 65 may be used in contraflow to evacuate Mobile, headed northeast toward Montgomery. This has been done for Ivan, Dennis and Katrina. Official language(s) English Capital Montgomery Largest city Birmingham Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 30th 135,775 km² 306 km 531 km 3. ... Interstate 65 (abbreviated I-65) is an Interstate Highway in the United States. ... Motto: Nickname: The Azalea City Map Political Statistics Founded 1702 Incorporated 1814 Mobile County Mayor Sam Jones Geographic Statistics Area  - Total  - Land  - Water 412. ... Montgomery skyline from the banks of the Alabama River Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama. ... Hurricane Ivan was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane, the fourth major hurricane, and the strongest hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. ... Hurricane Dennis was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. ... Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes in American history. ...

Contraflow lane reversal in movies

• In the movie Deep Impact, cars that were evacuating major cities near New York and New Jersey were jammed up even though they were going south in both sides of the freeway.
• In the movie Atomic Train, people were trying to leave Denver as a precaution to the explosion of the atomic bomb that was being hauled on a train.
• In a deleted scene from the movie Independence Day, two characters (who are trying to drive to Washington D.C.) almost crash their car when the highway is suddenly opened to contraflow lane reversal.

Deep Impact is a 1998 disaster film/science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures. ... Official language(s) None, English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 27th 141,205 km² 455 km 530 km 13. ... Official language(s) None defined, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 47th 22,608 km² 110 km 240 km 14. ... High-capacity freeway interchange in Los Angeles, California. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... This article refers to the state capital of Colorado. ... Independence Day (or ID4) is an American action movie about an attempted alien takeover of Earth. ...

Other uses

Sports culture

At the beginning and end of major sporting events, the center turn lanes of roads around a stadium or arena may be used to accommodate sporting event traffic. As these lanes are typically not subject to lane control, this can be considered a limited form of contraflow reversal.

Highway reconstruction situations

Sometimes when roads are being worked on and traffic is rather heavy, one lane will be blocked off but the other one however may be reversed.

2-lane arterials

A construction worker direct traffic with a sign with "STOP" on one side and "SLOW" on the other. The sign flips, and the other side proceeds. Traffic signals are also sometimes used, especially when it involves bridge construction, or any situation where a lane must be closed during times when construction crews are not at work. Construction on the North Bytown Bridge in Ottawa, Canada. ... Traffic lights will sometimes differ where there are several lanes of traffic. ... A log bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a gorge, valley, road, railroad track, river, body of water, or any other physical obstacle. ...

Roads with four or more lanes

Roads consisting of four lanes or more will usually have two-lane two-way traffic on one half if the road needs to be reconstructed so that rush-hour traffic can flow smoothly.

Freeways and expressways

Freeways (usually 4 lanes or more) that are undergoing reconstruction reduce both sides to one lane. In some cases, they will shift traffic onto one half making it a temporary super-2 corridor. (Another technique used is treating the rightmost hard shoulder as a travel lane.) In the case of 6-lane freeways (3 in each direction), the third lane is often kept for the busier direction or the shoulder is opened up to allow for 4 lanes of traffic, but with little or no shoulder space (emergency breakdown areas are sometimes added, however). Usually, merge ramps on freeways and non-freeways with interchanges have temporary "YIELD" signs for these situations. High-capacity freeway interchange in Los Angeles, California. ... An expressway is a divided highway, usually 4 lanes or wider in size, where direct access to adjacent properties has been eliminated. ... A super-2 is a two-lane freeway-standard road, usually without a median barrier. ... A hard shoulder or simply shoulder is a reserved area alongside the verge of a road or motorway. ... An interchange is a location where two things meet, usually perform some kind of exchange, and possibly go on their ways again. ...

Mass transit

Many contraflow bus lanes (in which a dedicated lane of an otherwise one way street is reversed for buses and other mass transit) exist in the world. Examples include Downtown Los Angeles, California; Belfast, Ireland, through the Lincoln Tunnel between New Jersey and New York City, Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, and London, England. The Bunker Hill district of Downtown Los Angeles as seen from USC, which makes up most of Downtowns skyline. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 3rd 410,000 km² 402. ... This article is about the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. ... The Lincoln Tunnel is a 1. ... Official language(s) None defined, English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 47th 22,608 km² 110 km 240 km 14. ... Nickname: The Big Apple Official website: City of New York Government Counties (Boroughs) Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Geographical characteristics Area Total 468. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Official language(s) None Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 12th 225,365 km² 400 km 645 km 8. ... London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ...