FRANK H. MURKOWSKI, GOVERNOR
DEPARTMENT' OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC FACILITIES
STATEWIDE DESIGN AND ENGINEERING SERVICES DIVISION
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS SECTION

August 4, 2004
3132 CHANNEL DRIVE
JUNEAU, ALASKA 99801-7898
Pi-ONE (907) 46.5.6963
TEXT TELEPHONE 1907)465-36V.
FAX. (507) 465.5740

Re: Proposed Entry/Exit Dual Left Turn Lane Use Signs - Request for Experimental Approval
Federal Highway Administration Office of Transportation Operations 400 Seventh Street SW, HOTO Washington. DC 20590

To Whom It May Concern:

In accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Section lA. It) Interpretations. Experimentations. ('hanks and Interim Approvals., the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities,(ADOT&PF) requests permission to experiment with three new entry/exit dual lane use cane, .+l giros or use at signalized intersections where dual left turn movements turn into three or more receiving lanes. The ADOT&PF Central Region] traffic & Safety Section designed the signs.

The documentation required for this experiment under Section IA. 10 follows: :1. The Problem.

Many intersections in the city of Anchorage have dual left turn lanes (the rightmost turning lane may either be a mandatory left or an optional left-through) that nun into three or more. receiving Lanes. Typically. pavement markings arc installed to tell drivers in the leftmost approaching lane to turn into the leftmost receiving lane (lane 1) or the adjacent lane (lane 2). Drivers in the rightmost left turn lane must turn into lane 3 or lanes further to the right. These travel paths are indicated only by dashed pavement markings - there arc no signs to reinforce the message. During the winter, the pavement marking, arc typically covered by snow and ice or, in some ceases, arc just worn away.

The State of Alaska's Drivers Manual and state law do not address this matter except to say that vehicles turning left must turn into the extreme left land lane unless "...the. Department of Transportation and Public Facilities or a municipality, in their respective jurisdictions. places an official traffc-control device within or adjacent to an intersection which requires that a different course from that specified in this section he traveled by a vehicle turning at an intersection. no driver may turn a vehicle at an intersection other than as directed by the device .."

The Alaska Department of Transportation Central Region Traffic & Safety Section conducted an accident analysis at 19 intersection approaches with dual left or left and left/thru optional lanes tutting left into three or more lanes where the inside left turning vehicle is directed into either the left most lane or the lane immediately it, the right. Our analysis was restricted to collisions.