Pullouts

General Description:

Pullouts allow visitors to leave the roadway safely to view attractions, repair breakdowns, or for any other reason.  Sight seeing visitors traveling at slower speeds are encouraged to use pullouts to allow the other traffic to flow more efficiently.  A pullout can be thought of as a very short passing lane.

Effects of Solution:

¨ Increase Passenger Throughput

þ Increase Roadway Capacity (Improves speeds along a facility)

¨ Manage System Efficiency

¨ Reduce Local Demand

Removing slow moving vehicles from the roadway increases the capacity of the system.

Examples of Implementation:

No specific examples available at the time of publication.

Cost/Financial Information:

(Cost/financial information is estimated, and will vary based on size and scope of project, number of units, etc.)

The cost of constructing pullouts is like the addition of a travel lane for a brief period.  Costs for lane additions can be found on the Additional Lanes fact sheet.  A paved pullout will cost approximately $10,000 per 100 feet.  Construction costs will vary depending on whether the pullout is paved, the construction conditions, the pullout width, and other considerations.

Additional Resources:

Benefits and Design/Location Criteria for Passing Lanes, Missouri DOT Research, Development and Technology, Midwest Research Institute, Report RDT-04-008.  Available at http://168.166.124.22/RDT/reports/RI02018/RDT04008.pdf

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