Forget Hudson Valley. One local commuter claims this small road in Ulster County is the worst place to drive in all of New York State.
“I commute to the city every day… I’ve been through Manhattan and dealt with dozens of confluences of zippers in and out of tunnels. It’s not a big deal, no one gets mad, no one blames each other… but here it’s not as much as you see it all the time,” they argued. he wasn’t alone.
East View of the Mid-Hudson Bridge (Google)
Meet at the Mid-Hudson Bridge in Highland, New York
The fire hit a 400-meter road at the junction just before the Mid-Hudson Bridge in Highland, New York. His three lanes of the bridge alternate throughout the day with two lanes open to eastbound traffic in the morning and two lanes open to westbound traffic in the evening (pictured below). Often only one lane is open in each direction and the middle lane is closed. However, regardless of the configuration, one side of the bridge requires the driver to merge from his two lanes into his one lane.
Eastbound two-lane merges into one for afternoon commute to Mid-Hudson Bridge (Google)
Is this the worst road in New York?
“Literally, it sucks around here! I’ve driven myself through it. The ignorance is amazing when you’re trying to meet here. No one knows how to zip it up!” agreed one angry commuter. “I commute across that bridge every day. This is really bad and I can’t agree with you any more!” another voice echoed. Even a person claiming to be an employee of the New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA) spoke up.
facebook/google
Zipper confluence at Mid-Hudson Bridge
“You’re right that nobody knows how to zip merge,” commented a man who cited his job as an assistant foreman at the NYSBA. “We’ve moved cones higher up before, but everyone will be fighting until the last minute, so it’s going to take more impact than it’s in the current position. But yes, people make the traffic worse than it needs to be.” So what’s the “official” way to merge?
Correct “zipper merge” where two lanes become one (Canva/The City of Minot via Facebook)
Correct way to merge
Despite what many drivers think, having drivers merge early from the exit lane does not save time or help smooth traffic. While no one should be competing for position at the edge of the lane (the “zipper” technique of alternating vehicles is correct here), drivers should safely use both lanes for as long as possible to ensure the smoothest flow of traffic (above).
However, the best advice is to relax anyway. Easier said than done, but even a 30-mile commute can only add six minutes if you get stuck behind someone driving 10 miles an hour faster than you normally would, let alone join an extra car on a bridge in front of or behind you. Practice your newfound driving knowledge by joining us on an unforgettable New York road trip below.
oh! did you know this? 18 Unusual ‘must sees’ on your upstate New York road trip
15 ‘must see’ places on your next upstate New York road trip. Very cool!
Everyone loves trivia. Weird history. fun facts. Well, upstate New York has a ton of these facilities, and I plan to visit many of them in the near future.
Here’s a list of 15 historic sites, roadside oddities, and wonderful places you shouldn’t miss on your next Upstate New York road trip.So it’s the only place you can actually drive under the Erie Canal? TRUE?
