Passing Lane Effectiveness on Two-Lane Roads

IN T R O D U C T IO N A passing lane is an added lane provided in one or both directions of travel on a conventional tw o-lane highw ay to im prove passing oppo r­ tunities. T his definition includes passing lanes in level or rolling terra in , clim bing lanes on grades, and short four-lane sections. T he length of the added lane can vary from 1,000 feet as m uch as 3 miles. Figure 1 illustrates a plan view of a typical passing lane section.