More J-turns coming to Indiana

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. - More J-turns are coming to Indiana within the next few years.

The turns, sometimes called, ‘Michigan turns,’ will be put in as part of the Next Level Roads project.

Some of the J-turns will likely come to county patrolled highways.

“It allows folks to maneuver along an intersection without having to cut across all lanes of the intersection at the same time,” St. Joseph County Police Assistant Chief Bill Thompson said.

Thompson says the one-way turns could increase safety, but will take practice.

“It’s going to be something folks will have to get used to. It will be very similar to roundabouts. It just takes a while to kind of get the hang of it,” Thompson said.

The new turns will come as construction starts on the Next Level Roads project in 2018, revamping highways and bridges.

The Indiana department of transportation calls it another tool in their belt.

“Anything you can do to kind of get you out of the main travel lanes to do a maneuver like a lane change or a turn or anything like that, and get them to those acceleration or deceleration lanes, any time you can do that you’re enhancing safety,” Thompson said.