Local–express lanes


The local–express lane system is an arrangement of carriageways within a major highway where long distance traffic can use lanes with fewer interchanges compared to local traffic which use 'local' or 'collector' lanes that have access to all interchanges. This can also be called a collector–distributor lane within a single interchange. One of the longest examples is Highway 401 in Toronto,
where highway ramps between express and local/collector lanes cross over one another; these are commonly known as braided ramps.
Given the considerable overall width of this design, new suburban freeways are often designed with interchanges spaced far enough apart to avoid the need for parallel roadways.
This concept is different from express toll lanes.

Examples

The following examples include both local–express lanes and collector–distributor lanes.

Canada

ProvinceHighwayCityLocationLengthNotes
AlbertaFort McMurraynorthbound only
AlbertaEdmontonWhitemud Drive - Between 170 St and 178 St
British ColumbiaCoquitlam and SurreyCape Horn Interchange – 152nd Street
Nova ScotiaDartmouthExit 12southbound only
OntarioYork RegionHighway 7 interchange – south of Langstaff Roadsigned as Exit 29 to Highway 7 rather than collector–express
OntarioToronto and Durham Regioneast of Kipling Avenue – Brock Road, PickeringPrimary system first completed from Islington to Markham Road in 1972, Brock Road in 2000.
Longest local-express system in North America.
OntarioPeel RegionHurontario Street – Highway 427newest section extended from Highway 410 up to Mississauga Road in 2014.
OntarioPeel RegionHighway 401 / Highway 410 interchange – Cawthra RoadCompleted 1994
OntarioTorontoHighway 401 – just north of Sheppard Avenue Eastsouthbound, and from eastbound 401 to northbound 404
OntarioPeel RegionHighway 401 / Highway 403 interchange – Courtneypark Drivenorthbound only, access to the express from the 403 only
OntarioTorontoQueen Elizabeth Way / Gardiner Expressway – Highway 401
OntarioConestoga ParkwayKitchenerLancaster Street – Krug Street
OntarioTorontoWickman Road – Royal York Road
QuebecRepentignyLarochelle Boulevard – Industrial BoulevardExit 98 and Exit 100, with a single transfer in between
QuebecRepentignyRoute 341 – Route 343eastbound only

United States

Other countries

CountryHighwayCityLocationLengthNotes
Argentina National Route 9 Buenos AiresVicente López – San Isidro
AustraliaSydneyMiller Street – Bradfield Highway
AustraliaMelbourneState Route M2 – Burnley Tunnel
BrazilRod. Pres Dutra RJ/BR-116Nova Iguaçu, Rio de JaneiroSaída 178B - Km 165
BrazilRod. Pres Dutra SP/BR-116São Paulo, GuarulhosKm 231 - Saída 211
BrazilRod. Pres Dutra SP/BR-116São José dos CamposKm 151 - Km 147
Km 153 - 148
BrazilAvenida das AméricasRio de Janeiro
EnglandPlymouth
EnglandBristol
EnglandMaidstone
EnglandPreston, Lancashire
EnglandManchesterSale – Carrington
Francesouth of Paris
Hong KongConnaught Road WestVictoria CityConnaught Place - Hill Road~
Hong KongGloucester Road Victoria City, East Point and Wan ChaiCanal Road West – Fenwick Streetwestbound only
Hong KongPrince Edward Road WestKowloonPentland Street – Choi Hung Roadelevated and lower roadway
Hong KongWest Kowloon Highway / Lin Cheung RoadKowloon and New Kowloon
IndonesiaAirport Toll RoadJakartaPluit – Penjaringan
MalaysiaNorth–South Expressway Northern RouteJelapang – Ipoh South
MexicoAvenida Constitución / Morones PrietoMonterrey
MexicoVia Rápida Poniente y OrienteTijuana
Netherlands / around Maastricht, Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Utrecht
Netherlandsaround Leiden
NetherlandsThe Hague and near Schiphol between two adjacent interchanges
NetherlandsUtrecht
NetherlandsRotterdam
NetherlandsRotterdam
PakistanLahore Ring RoadLahore
PolandWarsaw:File:IC Opacz.svg|map
RussiaLeningradsky AvenueMoscow
ScotlandGlasgow
SerbiaNovi SadNS South - NS NorthExiting and entering express lanes requires paying motorway toll.
Slovakia / EinsteinovaBratislava – Petržalka
South AfricaCape TownKoeberg Road – N7outbound
Spainnear Barcelona
SpainMadrid
TurkeyGebze, Kocaeli
TurkeyIstanbulBeylikdüzü – Cevizlibağon the European side
TurkeyIstanbulÜnalan – Bostancıon the Asian side
TurkeyIstanbulKartal – Pendikon the Asian side
TurkeyIzmirHalkapınar – Kemalpaşa
TurkeyMalatyathrough the city center
TurkeyKennedy AvenueIstanbulYenikapı – Bakırköyexpress lanes for the Eurasia Tunnel

Gallery

Example of cloverleaf interchanges

A cloverleaf interchange may have collector–distributor lanes on a freeway or expressway to handle entering and exiting traffic. Usually, this lane will begin as an entrance-only ramp initially, but it will sometimes become a main lane or possibly an exit-only lane. The purpose of this lane is to facilitate traffic to the freeway exits and from the freeway entrances.