Detour

A detour or (British English: diversion) is a (normally temporary) route taking traffic around an area of prohibited or reduced access, such as a construction site. Standard operating procedure for many roads departments is to route any detour over roads within the same jurisdiction as the road with the obstructed area.^[1]

On multi-lane highways (e.g., freeways, expressways, city streets, etc.), usually traffic shifts can replace a detour, as detours often congest turn lanes.^{[citation needed]}

^ Example: Dits, Joseph (2011-04-19). "Capital Ave. to be closed at railroad tracks in Mishawaka for a week" (fee required). South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 2011-04-20. The state will erect signs that take car traffic on a detour all the way through downtown South Bend – a longer detour than local residents could figure out – because the state has to use state roads, said InDOT spokesman Jim Pinkerton.

[1] Example: Dits, Joseph (2011-04-19). "Capital Ave. to be closed at railroad tracks in Mishawaka for a week" (fee required). South Bend Tribune. Retrieved 2011-04-20. The state will erect signs that take car traffic on a detour all the way through downtown South Bend – a longer detour than local residents could figure out – because the state has to use state roads, said InDOT spokesman Jim Pinkerton.

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