What is the difference between diversion and increasing the number of lanes?
2 Answers
Diversion and increasing the number of lanes differ in meaning, arrangement, and purpose. Different meanings: A diversion lane is an auxiliary lane designed for vehicles to complete the diversion process. The basic number of lanes refers to the required number of lanes on a road or a specific section, determined based on traffic volume and capacity requirements. Different arrangements: Diversion points are typically located at the entrance of a level intersection or the exit of a highway (elevated road) ramp. Increasing the number of lanes is applied to wide roads with good traffic conditions and high vehicle flow. Different purposes: Diversion points are measures taken to ensure orderly traffic flow, enhance safety, smoothness, and improve traffic capacity. Increasing the number of lanes aims to achieve balance at the points where the main road merges with or diverges from ramps. A diversion sign is an indication sign, signaling the presence of a diversion lane ahead, and vehicles should proceed straight or exit the main lane as directed by the arrows. Diversion is a traffic engineering term describing the phenomenon where a single traffic flow splits into two or multiple flows.
I previously studied traffic planning and found that these two serve completely different purposes. Diverting traffic involves creating new branch roads on existing routes to guide vehicle flow, such as highway exit ramps which are classic diversion designs that redirect vehicles in specific directions. Increasing the number of lanes, on the other hand, is purely about widening the road and adding more lanes. The actual construction differences are significant: diversion requires complete new route projects, which are costly and involve land acquisition, while adding lanes mainly focuses on road widening. From observing elevated road renovation projects, I've noticed that diversion is more suitable for optimizing traffic networks, whereas increasing lanes directly enhances the capacity of a single road section. When dealing with complex intersections, engineers often achieve the best results by combining both approaches.