On a three-lane highway like Interstate 41, what's the purpose of the middle lane?

Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent
·2 min read
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With three lanes of travel in one direction, as seen here on southbound Interstate 41 in Grand Chute, the right and middle lanes are designed for travel and the left lane is designed for passing.
With three lanes of travel in one direction, as seen here on southbound Interstate 41 in Grand Chute, the right and middle lanes are designed for travel and the left lane is designed for passing.

Reader question: On Interstate 41, where there are three lanes in each direction, what's the purpose of the middle lane? To do whatever you want? I'm continually annoyed by drivers in the middle lane going under the speed limit.

Answer: I think it's fairly well understood that the right lane is for entering and exiting the highway and for slower traffic and that the left lane is for passing.

I'm also certain that we've all witnessed violations of those norms: drivers who camp out in the left lane, or drivers who pass in the right lane.

The middle lane seemingly is less understood. It becomes an option when a four-lane highway is converted to a six-lane highway to accommodate increased volumes of traffic. That's what will happen in the next 6½ years as the Wisconsin Department of Transportation widens Interstate 41 between Wisconsin Avenue in Grand Chute and Scheuring Road in De Pere.

Kurt Peters, project development chief for the DOT's Northeast Region and the I-41 project manager, said the middle lane adds capacity to the highway and should be used by through traffic. It's not limited to passing, like the unwritten rule for the left lane, nor is it limited to slower traffic, like the right lane.

"It's really just a driving lane," Peters said. "There isn't any special assignment to that lane."

Watchdog Q&A: Duke Behnke answers your local government questions

Other resources confirmed what Peters said.

AAA (American Automobile Association) puts it this way in a seven-page public service brochure.

"Generally, the right lane of a freeway is for entering and exiting the traffic flow. It is a staging lane for use at the beginning and end of your freeway run. The middle lanes are for through traffic, and the left lane is for passing."

"If you are not passing someone, you should not be driving in the left lane," AAA continues. "If you are traveling on a roadway with more than two lanes, you should move out of the right lane unless you are driving at a slower speed or preparing to enter or exit."

The website driversed.com offers this advice: "If you can choose among three lanes on your side of the road, pick the middle lane for the smoothest driving. Use the left lane to go faster, pass or turn left. Use the right lane to drive slowly, enter or turn off the road."

Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: On a highway like I-41, what's the purpose of the middle lane?