The in basket: I noticed in driving on Highway 18 between Auburn
and I-90 lately that many of the areas between freeway on-ramps and
the main line, called “gores” in the highway business, have a
series of painted or raised-dot Vs connecting the two white
lines.
I suspected they are to raise a question in the driver’s mind about
whether he or she should be driving there (it’s against the law),
but I haven’t seen any of the chevrons in our area. I asked about
them.
The in basket: I noticed in driving on Highway 18 between Auburn
and I-90 lately that many of the areas between freeway on-ramps and
the main line, called “gores” in the highway business, have a
series of painted or raised-dot Vs connecting the two white
lines.
I suspected they are to raise a question in the driver’s mind about
whether he or she should be driving there (it’s against the law),
but I haven’t seen any of the chevrons in our area. I asked about
them.
The out basket: Greg Phipps of the Northwest Region of state
highways says that in his region, “chevron-like Vs are used in new
projects that are in a urban and/or congested areas,
either painted on or placed using button pavement markers.
“They are part of WSDOT’s standard plans and all regions have the
option to use them,” he said. (They) help enforce the message that
drivers shouldn’t cross the gore area, Crossing the gore area
increases the likelihood of accidents and increases merging
conflicts.”
Many drivers don’t realize that it’s considered driving off the
roadway and hence a violation when one enters the gore area in
merging onto a freeway instead of traveling the length of the
inside white line and then merging in. I didn’t, until I started
writing this column.
I suspect this mention will generate a question from some of the
readers who recall and occasionally inquire about a plan of 10
years ago to install upright pylons on the white lines on each side
of the gore where Highway 304 and 3 merge west of Bremerton. The
state ultimately decided that it wasn’t worth the money in
installation and upkeep and they haven’t changed their minds.
I don’t see drivers crossing the gore there nearly as often as
those who ask about the pylons tell me it happens, and am a little
puzzled by what I witness when I do see it.
In other locations, those crossing the gore are usually impatient
drivers who want to get ahead of outside lane traffic they want to
go faster than. But west of Bremerton, I see more violators
crossing to the outside lane than to the inside. I don’t understand
the motive. Are they heading for Belfair and worried they won’t be
able to make the lane change in the two miles before they get into
Gorst?
