By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

City recommends “zipper merge” but province has no policy on it

May 1, 2018 | 1:08 PM

LETHBRIDGE – A construction project on the Highway 3 bridge may be causing some tempers to flare, as traffic is reduced from four lanes to two.

The City of Lethbridge is using social media to encourage motorists to use the “zipper merge” technique, one that’s endorsed by the Alberta Motor Association. Drivers are encouraged to use both lanes of traffic right up to the point where one ends, then alternate into the open lane.

“It helps move traffic through, and it reduces the length of backup,” Richard Brummund, road infrastructure manager for the City of Lethbridge, said. He explained the city researched the idea prior to a major construction project on Whoop-Up Drive three years ago and saw the advantages.

But the Highway 3 bridge rehabilitation is not a city project; it’s under the jurisdiction of Alberta Transportation. In an email, the ministry said it has no official policy on zipper merging. It has done a test and is analyzing the results, though.

Lethbridge and other jurisdictions have used signs instructing drivers to use both lanes and marking the spot where they should merge. Alberta Transportation said it does not use those signs.

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“The best behaviour is to be polite and unselfish,” Ron Wilson, manager of driver education for AMA, said in an interview. “Studies show this can decrease traffic congestion by as much as 40 per cent. That’s a big savings.”

Why are drivers slow to embrace the idea? Brummund thinks people don’t realize the benefits and are more concerned about not letting another driver get ahead of them.

“I think it’s some old thoughts, that somebody’s trying to get ahead of somebody else and cheating, rather than utilizing all the lanes to get as much traffic through as possible.”

The construction is expected to take until the end of July.