# What does "a two-lane road" imply to you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-two-lane-road-imply-to-you/581619 "2011-05-12T03:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-two-lane-road-imply-to-you/581619/21 "2011-05-12T15:22:12Z")
One in each direction. Growing up in the country, I drove on a lot of roads that might in theory be 2 lane, but more practically were like 1 1/2. ---
**Author:** ![jacobsta811](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jacobsta811/32/2893_2.png) [@jacobsta811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacobsta811)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-two-lane-road-imply-to-you/581619/22 "2011-05-12T16:23:40Z")
There are plenty of roads with 8 lanes in each direction, what is crazy is it gets even higher than that: From [Highway - Wikipedia](https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Highway) > [@](#): > > ``` > Widest highway (maximum number of lanes): The Katy Freeway (part of Interstate 10) in Houston, Texas, has a total of 26 lanes in some sections as of 2007.[citation needed] However, they are divided up into general use/ frontage roads/ HOV lanes, restricting the traverse traffic flow. > > Widest highway (maximum number of through lanes): Interstate 5 along a 2-mile section between Interstate 805 and California State Route 56 in San Diego, California, which was completed in April 2007, is 22 lanes wide.[26] > > ``` ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-two-lane-road-imply-to-you/581619/23 "2011-05-12T17:00:15Z")
FWIW, there is a sign on a road near where I used to live saying “1 lane road” it had 2 way traffic and 2 cars could pass each other, though it was tight.; With this sign which is posted by some authority, and that there is 2 way traffic that can travel and not interfere with each other, I would say the use of 2 lane road most mean 2 lanes in each direction. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-two-lane-road-imply-to-you/581619/24 "2011-05-12T23:57:26Z")
I would use “two-lane road” to mean “two lanes total”, except that, if used devoid of context, I would wonder why it was specified (two lanes total being normal) and assume that the speaker may mean something other than that (most likely two lanes in each direction). So it very much depends on the sentence. “What width of road do you think is sufficient here? Two lane road?” = two lane total “Does this road become a two-lane road out of the city?” – not sure, but probably two lanes each ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-two-lane-road-imply-to-you/581619/25 "2011-05-13T00:46:29Z")
A 2-lane road is any road that has 2 lanes between its two edges. A freeway with a grass median forms two separate 2-lane roads or roadways (or 3-lane, etc.) Form the Definitions section of the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices”, published by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration [http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov](http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov) 1. Road—see Roadway. 2. Road User—a vehicle operator, bicyclist, or pedestrian, including persons with disabilities, within the highway or on a private road open to public travel. 3. Roadway—that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel and parking lanes, but exclusive of the sidewalk, berm, or shoulder even though such sidewalk, berm, or shoulder is used by persons riding bicycles or other human-powered vehicles. In the event a highway includes two or more separate roadways, the term roadway as used in this Manual shall refer to any such roadway separately, but not to all such roadways collectively. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-two-lane-road-imply-to-you/581619/26 "2011-05-13T01:22:23Z")
It means there are 2 lanes. You have to say two lane one way or two lane two way or two lane country road as country roads are two way. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-two-lane-road-imply-to-you/581619/27 "2011-05-13T02:08:06Z")
> [@Ignatz](#): > > Form the Definitions section of the “Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices”, published by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration [http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov](http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov) Exactly. “Lane” is one of those terms that actually has a meaning. Of course, I understand that common speech doesn’t necessarily follow that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-a-two-lane-road-imply-to-you/581619.md?page=1)