Is a bidirectional 6-lane road equivalent to a 12-lane road?
2 Answers
A bidirectional 6-lane road is not equivalent to a 12-lane road. Bidirectional six-lane road: A bidirectional six-lane road has a design speed of 40-80km/h, with a total width of six lanes. A median strip or green belt must be installed in the middle, with each lane being 3.75 meters wide. If necessary, a non-motorized vehicle lane of at least 3.5 meters and a sidewalk of at least 4 meters must be provided. Bidirectional six-lane expressway: It has a design speed of 80-120km/h, with a subgrade width of at least 33 meters. Each lane is 3.75 meters wide, and green belts, shoulders, emergency lanes, and emergency parking strips of 1.5-3.5 meters must be established.
No, a bidirectional 6-lane road means the entire road has a total of 6 lanes, with 3 lanes in each direction. I often drive and remember that a bidirectional 6-lane road has three lanes on each side—three going north and three going south, totaling six lanes, not twelve. After years of driving, miscounting lanes can lead to accidents, such as misjudging multiple lanes when changing lanes on highways, which is also dangerous when speeding. Road sign design is crucial, as each lane is directionally separated and shouldn’t be counted together. Driving instructors always emphasize this—identifying the divider helps distinguish directions. The number of lanes determines traffic flow; a bidirectional 6-lane road can handle significant traffic. If it were truly 12 lanes, it would be excessively wide and wasteful. Understanding this helps avoid common driving misconceptions.
