Wrong-way concurrency

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A wrong-way concurrency or wrong-way multiplex is a road concurrency in which at least two numbered highway routes are signed in opposite, conflicting directions on the same stretch of physical roadway.

Although each route is logically consistent with itself, wrong-way concurrency signage may lead to confusion among motorists.

The road itself is likely to be actually pointed in a third direction—for example, a north-south wrong-way concurrency would typically occur on a stretch of road that physically runs east-west; and vice versa.

This oddity is not to be confused with situations where a north-south route shares an east-west route, which is a very common occurrence.

Contents 1 List of wrong-way concurrencies 1.1 United States 1.1.1 Arkansas 1.1.2 California 1.1.3 Georgia 1.1.4 Kansas 1.1.5 Massachusetts 1.1.6 North Carolina 1.1.7 Ohio 1.1.8 Oklahoma 1.1.9 Pennsylvania 1.1.10 Tennessee 1.1.11 Texas 1.1.12 Virginia 1.1.13 Wisconsin 1.2 Canada

List of wrong-way concurrencies

United States

Arkansas

• A stretch of north-south highways Interstate 530 and U.S. Route 65 near Pine Bluff, Arkansas is wrong-way concurrent with north-south highways U.S. Route 63 and U.S. Route 79, all the while traveling east-west.
• A short stretch of the main road through Stuttgart, Arkansas contains a wrong-way concurrency of north-south highways U.S. Route 165 south and U.S. Route 79 as of August 2005; however, a bypass around the northeast portion of the city will reroute 165 and, thus, the wrong-way concurrency will disappear into the annals of history.

California

• A section of the Eastshore Freeway in Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Oakland California is signed as I-80 and I-580 in opposite directions.

Georgia

• In north Cobb County, Georgia, a wrong-way concurrency is made up of U.S. Route 41 North and Georgia S.R. 92 South.

Kansas

• South of Pittsburg, Kansas, a north-south stretch of road is wrong-way concurrent with north-south U.S. Route 69, and east-west highways U.S. Route 160 and U.S. Route 400.

Massachusetts

• A stretch of the Yankee Division Highway, a loop around Boston, Massachusetts. The southernmost portion of the loop proceeds east from the intersection of I-95 south (going to Providence, Rhode Island) to the intersection of I-93 north (proceeding into downtown Boston) and MA Route 3 from Plymouth, Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Because the route provides a connection from I-95 to the portion of I-93 that enters Boston, the route is signed I-93 North. At the same time, the entire loop was signed as MA Route 128, which proceeded to this point from its northern terminus in Rockport, Massachusetts. Since travelers would reach this point in the loop primarily by driving south, the route continued to be signed Route 128 South. The result was a stretch of highway, proceeding east, marked as I-93 North and MA 128 South. In 1997, the Route 128 designation was removed from this portion of the highway, so this wrong-way concurrency no longer occurs (except among locals who still call the highway Route 128).
• Another, more recent, wrong-way concurrency on the same highway continues to exist immediately west of this stretch. In 1989, U.S. Route 1 was relocated to follow I-95 and I-93 into Boston. The I-95 portion of this concurrency proceeding east is marked as US 1 North, I-95 South and MA 128 South. Further north, in Burlington, the highway has yet another short wrong-way concurrency. U.S. Route 3 is a freeway north of Route 128 (though locals call freeways "expressways" in New England). The originally planned freeway to the south was cancelled in 1970, so US 3 South takes a short jog on Route 128 and I-95 North (travelling east-northeast) to get back to its original alignment.

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North Carolina

• On the Brunswick and New Hanover County Line in North Carolina, US 17 North/US 74/76 East shares a designation with U.S. Route 421 South as the road travels over the Cape Fear River.
• In Greensboro, North Carolina, Interstate 40, Business 85, U.S. Route 29, U.S. Route 70, U.S. Route 220, and U.S. Route 421 are all concurrent. US 421 is wrong-way, as can be seen to the right.

Ohio

• Near Perrysburg, Ohio, southwest of Toledo, north-south I-75 and north-south U.S. Route 23 form a wrong-way concurrency for about one mile between the I-75/I-475 and I-75/U.S. Route 20/U.S. Route 23 interchanges.

Oklahoma

• In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Highway 3 is wrong-way concurrent with Interstate 44. Both roads are signed east-west, but this section of road runs north-south.

Pennsylvania

• Near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, a portion of the Doylestown Bypass, is a wrong-way concurrency cosigned with US 202 and PA 611 running in opposite directions.

Tennessee

• In Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a 7.3-mile (11.8-km) section of the Great Smoky Mountains Parkway is a wrong-way concurrency of U.S. Route 321 and U.S. Route 441. (Further confusing things, Tennessee State Route 71 and State Route 73 are also concurrent along that section.)
• Also near the Smoky Mountains, U.S. Route 411 and U.S. Route 441 are wrong-way concurrent between Seymour and Sevierville. Although the routes are north-south, this segment travels close to due east-west. The similarity of the route numbers further confuses things.

Texas

• A short stretch of the main road through Midlothian, Texas contains a wrong-way concurrency of north-south highways U.S. Route 287 south and the business route of U.S. Route 67; as expected, while concurrent the road travels east-west.

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Virginia

• Less famous but no less confusing is the I-77/I-81 wrong-way concurrency in southwestern Virginia (pictured above), which is simultaneously North 81 and South 77. In the 80s and early 90s, this section was particularly confusing due to poor (almost nonexistent) signage, but this problem was remedied around 1996. Additionally, U.S. Route 21 and U.S. Route 11 are wrong-way concurrent along this section of highway.
• In Lynchburg, Virginia, concurrent north-south U.S. Route 29 and east-west U.S. Route 460 meet with north-south U.S. Route 501. US 29 and US 501 are wrong-way for approximately 2.5 miles (right).

Wisconsin

• A short stretch of the U.S. Route 10 freeway around Waupaca, Wisconsin contains a wrong-way concurrency of north-south Wisconsin state routes 22 and 49, as well as state route 54. There is one set of route markers in each direction; traveling west, the highway is marked as US 10 West, WI 22 South, WI 49 North and WI 54 West.

Canada

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• A section of the Trans-Canada Highway within Kamloops is signed as BC 1 East, BC 97 South, and BC 5 North. It is the only wrong-way concurrency in the province of British Columbia.
• Near the town of Chamberlain, Saskatchewan, along Highway 11, there is a concurrency with Highway 2 such that 11 south is 2 north.