...rendering at least one lane virtually unusable to most motorists.
Married couples and retirees rejoice...
“FASTLANE” is the name of a federal grant program; it doesn’t mean that one lane of traffic will be reserved for specific users. As far as I know, all three lanes in each direction will be available to general traffic.
Though this is long overdue, the first phase really won’t do much more than provide an extra passing lane for a short distance. The second phase, linking the extra capacity up to the I-70 junction, is when the benefits of the extra lane will become apparent.
Really, the entire length of I-81 from North Carolina up through New York State needs to be widened. But at least this is a start.
Is FASTLANE actually only for toll lanes or HOV lanes? I don’t know the exact requirements for that type of grant.
I should have realized that federal “grants” were behind those wasteful lanes!