Knowledge (XXG)

Inner–outer directions

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assigned to the southern and western half. Both halves are posted with east and west directions on their entire lengths. However, the milemarkers for those Interstates treat them as a single highway, beginning at the Minnesota River bridge on I-494, increasing going clockwise and including I-694,
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Most beltways in the United States do not use inner–outer directions, since compass directions are the predominant way to designate direction on numbered routes. Beltways with a single number for the entire route, such as
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area, are generally given compass directions that change as one travels along the route (what would be the inner loop is instead posted as north, then east, then south, then west, and vice versa for the outer loop).
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Variations of the labels include "inner loop" or "outer loop", "inner beltline" or "outer beltline", "inner ring" or "outer ring", "inner rail" or "outer rail", and "inner circle" or "outer circle".
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which was numbered before it was common to use a single number for an entire beltway. That road is split into northern and southern halves for numbering purposes, with
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Despite the logical benefits and uniformity of inner/outer labeling, many find the concept confusing, especially those in nations where compass directions (e.g.,
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Inner and outer directions may be used as the primary labeling system for routes or as a system secondary to another system such as compass directions.
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direction around a loop will always be in the "inner" lane(s) (assuming that there is no lane crossing). Likewise, traffic traveling in a
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direction will always be in the "outer" lane(s). "Inner" and "outer" labels stem from this reasoning, applying the concept of
323: 255: 279: 116:, is signed by all four compass directions at various points, but is consistently signed with inner–outer labeling. 411: 93: 185: 71:, where east–west and north–south orientations cannot be applied uniformly. The labels are also used in select 52:, traffic flows counterclockwise in the inner lanes (blue) of a beltway and clockwise in the outer lanes (red). 40:, traffic flows clockwise in the inner lanes (blue) of a beltway and counterclockwise in the outer lanes (red). 611: 529: 441: 495: 157: 312: 554: 606: 415: 353: 239: 169: 161: 79: 32: 37: 44: 481: 165: 68: 49: 405: 347: 164:); the outermost route may be called an Outer Loop and the innermost route may be called an 125: 113: 242:
is denoted by the letter "A", while counterclockwise traffic is denoted by the letter "B".
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are labels that identify the direction of travel on opposing lanes of traffic on certain
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In nations where automobiles drive on the right side of a road, traffic traveling in a
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are secondary to compass directions, which change as one travels along the loop.
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Dr. Traffic (May 14, 2006). "Making heads or tails of inner, outer loops".
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employs yet another method of orbital road signing: clockwise traffic on
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or beltways. They can be used to sign individual routes that encircle a
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to the geographic characteristics of circular road or rail.
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Method of labeling direction of travel for geographic loops
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Right-hand traffic (the inner loop is clockwise) :
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Left-hand traffic (the outer loop is clockwise) :
82:, indicating the direction of travel of each line. 278:An "Inner Circle" train (note signage) arrives at 209:returning to the Minnesota River bridge on I-494. 204:assigned to the northern and eastern half and 8: 338:Charlotte, North Carolina, metropolitan area 573:Teresco: I-695 pic (Accessed Dec 27, 2006) 482:Photo Gallery - Monroe County | Inner Loop 273: 262:is signed with inner and outer (French: 474: 7: 196:A special case is the beltway for 25: 585: 555:Southeast Roads: Athens Loop Pic 421:London Underground's Circle line 402:Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway) 350:, North Carolina, United States 1: 303:Georgia State Route 10 Loop 628: 280:West Street subway station 136:Criticism and alternatives 396:Secondary labeling system 94:Charlotte, North Carolina 156:, which is encircled by 560:March 11, 2007, at the 530:Government of Hong Kong 442:Raleigh, North Carolina 294:Primary labeling system 220:, Japan uses the terms 592:Inner–outer directions 510:Kurumi: Interstate 285 496:The Charlotte Observer 432:Former labeling system 324:Boulevard Périphérique 287: 271: 256:Boulevard Périphérique 117: 57:Inner–outer directions 53: 41: 594:at Wikimedia Commons 346:partially encircling 313:Hampton Roads Beltway 277: 253: 107: 47: 35: 526:Transport Department 236:Transport Department 18:Inner/Outer labeling 416:Baltimore, Maryland 354:Seoul Subway Line 2 319:area, United States 170:Rochester, New York 162:Sam Houston Tollway 288: 272: 118: 54: 42: 38:drive on the right 590:Media related to 536:on April 29, 2014 69:metropolitan area 50:drive on the left 16:(Redirected from 619: 589: 575: 570: 564: 552: 546: 545: 543: 541: 532:. Archived from 518: 512: 507: 501: 500: 490: 484: 479: 406:Washington, D.C. 348:Uptown Charlotte 226:counterclockwise 130:concentric loops 126:counterclockwise 114:Washington, D.C. 48:In nations that 36:In nations that 21: 627: 626: 622: 621: 620: 618: 617: 616: 597: 596: 583: 578: 571: 567: 562:Wayback Machine 553: 549: 539: 537: 520: 519: 515: 508: 504: 492: 491: 487: 480: 476: 472: 455: 434: 408:, United States 398: 385:Osaka Loop Line 340:, United States 336:encircling the 315:encircling the 309:, United States 307:Athens, Georgia 296: 248: 138: 110:Capital Beltway 102: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 625: 623: 615: 614: 612:Road transport 609: 599: 598: 582: 581:External links 579: 577: 576: 565: 547: 513: 502: 485: 473: 471: 468: 467: 466: 461: 454: 451: 450: 449: 446:Interstate 540 438:Interstate 440 433: 430: 429: 428: 418: 412:Interstate 695 409: 397: 394: 393: 392: 382: 372: 369:Glasgow Subway 362: 361: 351: 344:Interstate 277 341: 334:Interstate 485 331: 320: 310: 295: 292: 284:Glasgow Subway 247: 244: 206:Interstate 494 202:Interstate 694 186:Interstate 285 158:Interstate 610 137: 134: 101: 98: 90:Interstate 277 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 624: 613: 610: 608: 605: 604: 602: 595: 593: 588: 580: 574: 569: 566: 563: 559: 556: 551: 548: 535: 531: 527: 523: 517: 514: 511: 506: 503: 498: 497: 489: 486: 483: 478: 475: 469: 465: 462: 460: 457: 456: 452: 447: 443: 439: 436: 435: 431: 426: 422: 419: 417: 413: 410: 407: 403: 400: 399: 395: 390: 386: 383: 380: 376: 375:Yamanote Line 373: 370: 367: 366: 365: 359: 355: 352: 349: 345: 342: 339: 335: 332: 329: 325: 321: 318: 317:Hampton Roads 314: 311: 308: 304: 301: 300: 299: 293: 291: 285: 281: 276: 269: 265: 261: 260:Paris, France 257: 252: 245: 243: 241: 237: 233: 229: 227: 223: 219: 215: 210: 207: 203: 199: 194: 191: 187: 181: 179: 175: 171: 167: 163: 159: 155: 151: 150:United States 147: 143: 135: 133: 131: 127: 123: 115: 111: 106: 99: 97: 95: 91: 86: 83: 81: 77: 74: 70: 66: 62: 58: 51: 46: 39: 34: 30: 19: 584: 568: 550: 538:. Retrieved 534:the original 516: 505: 494: 488: 477: 363: 297: 289: 267: 263: 230: 225: 221: 211: 195: 182: 177: 173: 145: 141: 139: 119: 87: 84: 78:that form a 76:rail systems 73:double track 56: 55: 29: 440:encircling 414:encircling 404:encircling 305:encircling 198:Twin Cities 607:Ring roads 601:Categories 470:References 464:Roundabout 371:, Scotland 214:Meijō Line 166:Inner Loop 61:ring roads 540:April 29, 459:Ring road 427:, England 268:extérieur 264:intérieur 232:Hong Kong 222:clockwise 168:(like in 122:clockwise 88:In 2009, 558:Archived 453:See also 330:, France 246:Examples 160:and the 528:of the 391:, Japan 381:, Japan 360:, Korea 326:around 282:on the 258:around 240:Route 9 190:Atlanta 188:in the 154:Houston 112:around 100:Concept 425:London 218:Nagoya 389:Osaka 379:Tokyo 358:Seoul 328:Paris 178:outer 174:inner 542:2014 322:The 266:and 254:The 224:and 212:The 176:and 146:west 144:and 142:east 108:The 80:loop 65:city 387:in 377:in 356:in 234:'s 216:in 92:in 67:or 603:: 524:. 423:, 228:. 544:. 499:. 448:) 286:. 20:)

Index

Inner/Outer labeling

drive on the right

drive on the left
ring roads
city
metropolitan area
double track
rail systems
loop
Interstate 277
Charlotte, North Carolina

Capital Beltway
Washington, D.C.
clockwise
counterclockwise
concentric loops
United States
Houston
Interstate 610
Sam Houston Tollway
Inner Loop
Rochester, New York
Interstate 285
Atlanta
Twin Cities
Interstate 694
Interstate 494

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