r/theydidthemath • u/kitsucoon • 20h ago

[Request] What is the longest one could drive without changing lanes?

A job I had awhile ago had a fun part of the commute. On the way home, once I merged onto the highway, if I got into a specific lane, I could follow that line for about 15 miles. It would merge me onto the interstate and drop me off on the right exit without ever changing lanes.

I took that route again tonight after a date night and my mind mused…what would be the longest stretch in the world where you could get into a lane and never change lanes?

Rules:

  • No circles (e.g. multiple times around a roundabout)
  • Assume no construction or lane blockages/closures
  • A lane must be separated by painted lines, either dashed or solid. If a road ends to a non-painted street, that lane ends.
  • A lane change requires driving over a dotted or straight line. If the lane exits to a different road, but it continues in a single lane without merging lanes, that is allowed.
1 Upvotes

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9

u/ThirdSunRising 20h ago edited 10h ago

I'm sure it's several thousand miles.

At one point I lived in Berkeley, California and met someone from New Jersey. The driving directions to get to their house were, "Just get on Interstate 80 heading east and take the exit in South Hackensack..." which is about 2900 miles / 4500km away

2

u/ThirdSunRising 20h ago edited 19h ago

You can’t navigate all the way from SF without changing lanes but I believe at least after Sacramento you can camp in the left lane for nearly 3000 continuous miles.

I may have forgotten an interchange, if someone could let me know

1

u/igotshadowbaned 15h ago

Well I know when I would go between home and college one route I could take I could just sit in one lane for 100 miles before my exit. And that wasn't even on one of the big cross country highways.

Realistically, short of panning through on Google maps to ensure nothing weird happens with the lanes, you can only get a rough estimation based on assumptions of areas the road you're speculating about goes through

My guess is the Trans Siberian Highway

1

u/IJustWantToWorkOK 15h ago

Does that take into accout 'turn off to stay on' interchanges?

i.e. places where you have to take an exit, to stay on the same highway.

0

u/kitsucoon 11h ago

Depends if you have to cross a solid or dashed line to do so.

Some of those output you into a lane, no need to merge. Others require a merge. If you have to merge, the lane ends.