Confusing Construction At I-95, I-287 Junction Causing Numerous Illegal U-Turns By Drivers Accidentally On Exit Ramp
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Hundreds of drivers a day are being delayed in Westchester County due to confusing construction on Interstate 95.
They end up taking an unintended exit, leading many to attempt illegal, sometimes dangerous, U-turns to get back on track.
Navigation apps seem to be compounding the problem, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported Thursday.
Drone Force 2 hovered over the massive roadwork being done to reconfigure the junction of I-95 and I-287 at the exit to Midland Avenue in Westchester County.
It's leading to confusion confounding hundreds of drivers.
Every hour, dozens make illegal U-turns at the bottom of the exit ramp - sometimes two at a time!
"If you're doing U-turns in the middle of this intersection, I would say it's dangerous," one person said.
"Doing a U-turn right there is definitely dangerous!" said Tim Ververis from Waterford, Connecticut.
The problem is two-fold for drivers who want to continue south on I-95 or exit to I-287 West; they suddenly find themselves in the right lane exit to Midland Ave.
The stretch of I-95 South leading to that exit is a curve. It pops up suddenly. Drivers coming around the bend have very little time to prepare or react.
They end up off-route and some make that illegal U-turn at the bottom of the ramp. Many more pull into the nearby hotel parking lot and turn around there.
"We actually got confused on the interstate and we got off accidentally so we had to do a U-turn," said Jen Wolfe from Greenwich, Connecticut.
"The GPS are what's screwing people up because that's what put me on this exit," a driver told Aiello.
That's the second part of the problem. Navigation apps tell drivers heading to I-287 West to stay in the right lane. But suddenly they're exiting onto Midland Ave.
"Highly confusing. That's all I can say. It's very, very confusing," said Mike Foyer from Chicago.
The New York Thruway Authority has known about the problem for months. It recently put one sign at the exit.
Aiello asked why there aren't more to help approaching drivers navigate the confusion and was told it's under consideration.
"There's got to be a more intelligent way to design this thing," a driver said.
After CBS2's inquiry, the authority also reached out to navigation apps to tell them to update their maps so drivers don't end up at the bottom of the ramp.