Here’s how you do a proper zipper merge on Kansas City highways
If you see construction cones while driving on Kansas City highways this summer, please don’t panic. There’s a way to go about it.
A user on the Kansas City Reddit page recently posted about being frustrated with driving north on U.S. 169, asking other drivers to “learn what a zipper lane is.” They said that many drivers were piling into the left lane before they needed to.
In May, U.S. 169 near the downtown airport was opened to one lane in each direction. This was after structural issues were found with the bridge over BNSF Railway’s tracks north of Kansas City’s Downtown Airport.
A zipper merge happens when a lane is closed due to construction, causing drivers to merge using both lanes of traffic until they reach the defined merge area. It’s called a zipper merge because it resembles the interlocking teeth of a zipper.
This is different from an early merge, where drivers can move out of the closed lanes as early as possible. This is usually done when traffic is light and you can move at the speed limit.
When should I zipper merge?
The Missouri Department of Transportation says that a zipper merge works well for stop-and-go and slow moving traffic. It maximizes the amount of cars to get into the lane, while keeping drivers safe.
“The safest merging is to think about two lanes merging into one. Not one lane merging into the other,” MoDOT says on its website. The zipper merge also helps vehicles avoid coming to a complete stop, which can lead to sudden lane switching, inconsistent driving speeds that cause crashes, long back-ups and road rage.
If you need additional lessons on zipper merges, MoDOT has this video of adults inside cardboard cars, demonstrating work zone merging techniques. The video also features kids reacting to the adults, with one of them asking, “why aren’t they taking turns?”
MoDOT asks drivers to watch for signs telling motorists to resist the urge to merge, and do the zipper merge where the lane closure occurs.
