wrong-way concurrency
Plural
wrong-way concurrencies
1
a situation where two or more numbered highways overlap along the same stretch of road but are signed with opposing cardinal directions
Wrong-way concurrency occurs when two or more numbered highways share the same roadway while being signed with opposing cardinal directions (e.g., one marked "North" and the other "South" along the same stretch). This inconsistency arises due to historical route numbering, jurisdictional compromises, or geographical constraints that prevent logical directional alignment. These anomalies are often remnants of older highway systems that were later integrated into modern networks without directional adjustments. Examples include segments where US highways and state or provincial routes intersect in urban areas or mountainous terrain.
- A wrong-way concurrency exists where US 1 South and US 29 North share the same roadway in Virginia.
- Wrong-way concurrencies often arise when older routes are grandfathered into newer highway systems without directional adjustments.
- Transportation departments try to eliminate wrong-way concurrencies because they increase the risk of driver confusion.
- In Ontario, Highway 7 and Highway 8 once had a wrong-way concurrency near Kitchener, signed eastbound and westbound simultaneously.
- The wrong-way concurrency on US 52 South and NC 8 North in North Carolina was eventually resolved by renumbering NC 8.