Resist The Urge To Merge Early!
Motorists Encouraged to Use ‘Dynamic Zipper Merge’ in Upcoming I-24 Work Zone
Technique shown to reduce traffic backups and driver frustration
PADUCAH, Ky. (Feb. 20, 2025) – It's a timeless driving debate: Do you merge as soon as you see the "lane closed ahead" sign or wait until the merge starts?
The answer is wait – and use a technique called the “dynamic zipper merge,” where motorists utilize both lanes then take turns merging every other vehicle in a zipper-like fashion into the open lane.
“Research shows this technique is the best way to keep traffic moving safely and more efficiently on heavily traveled routes,” said Kyle Poat, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KTYC) District 1 Chief District Engineer. “The safest merging is to think about two lanes merging into one; not one lane merging into the other.”
It’s a technique that will be used for work zone lane restrictions coming soon on the Interstate 24 Ohio River Bridge, which connects Paducah to Metropolis at the Kentucky-Illinois state line. The I-24 Ohio River Bridge Rehab Project, led by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), is expected to start on Monday, March 3.
Zipper merging has been implemented in other states such as Missouri and North Carolina with success. Data shows that zipper merging decreases driver frustration and keeps traffic moving smoothly when motorists can use both lanes up to the merge point. It can also help reduce traffic backups.
Why Not Merge Early?
When drivers merge too early in congested, slow-moving traffic, the backup can stretch for miles and take significantly more time to resume normal driving speeds.
When approaching a work zone lane restriction, message boards will alert you to slowed traffic. Some motorists might start to merge as soon as they see warning signs and learn which lane ahead is closed. However, this can fill the open lane quickly.
When a driver in the closed lane can’t move into the open lane in time, it forces the vehicle to stop. The vehicle must now join traffic from a stop, which can lead to lane switching, inconsistent driving speeds that cause crashes, long backups, and other issues.
And, drivers should remember that straddling the center line when a merge is approaching — attempting to block anyone from continuing in the lane that is closed up ahead — can make the traffic situation worse, not better.
Research shows these dangers decrease and traffic moves more smoothly when motorists use both lanes until reaching the defined merge point and then alternate merging every other vehicle – like the teeth of a zipper – into the open lane.
By using two lanes until the merge, drivers are using the most amount of space as possible, traveling at similar speeds, and the length of backups is reduced.
The Transportation Cabinet urges motorists to resist the urge to merge early in congested or slowed traffic, and please use both lanes as long as possible.
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A video demonstrating the zipper merge will be posted on the KYTC District 1 Facebook page.
Editors: Click here to download the video.
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