How can I know if a U.S. interstate exit will have a return entrance ramp?
- By
- Aparna Patel
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- 1 Aug, 2023
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It’s called a MAP. Get one, look at it, it will show on ramps and off ramps, and how to get from one to the other.
There is no traffic sign to indicate whether there is a nearby on ramp to match your off ramp.
But there should always be a way to get to one, even if it means driving a long distance on backroads.
The easy way to find out is if the sign board for the services (food, gas, ATM, etc.) is on the highway or not.
If the sign is on the highway, then you are guaranteed a return to the interstate – it may not be straightforward, but it will be there.
The “Exit Only” means that this lane is only for exit, and it does not allow further (straight through) travel.
Depending on the design of the overpass, you may have an exit lane, followed by an entry lane for traffic coming from the opposite side and this would allow you to carry on straight through under the overpass.
There is no universal answer, as each state marks its highways a little different. And while Interstates are federal highways, states are still left to their own devices on maintenance and signage.
Outside of cities, the exit will often be marked with “no southbound entrance” (or whichever you are traveling) or “no re-entry” to indicate it is an exit only interchange. But exit only interchanges are few and far between outside cities.
Exit only interchanges are more common in cities, simply because there often isn’t sufficient land to build a full cloverleaf.
But for your specific concern, stopping to get gas and/or food, it is pretty safe to assume that any interchange with a number of gas stations, restaurants and/or motels will be an on/off exit. And many states provide a sign board or two with services at an exit before you get there.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘