Why does the extra left turn ramp exist at World and Buena Vista?

NE2

Earning My Ears
Joined
Feb 8, 2013
If you get off southbound World Drive at the first Buena Vista Drive exit (for Coronado etc.) you can turn left, and there's a separate traffic light just for this movement. But there's also a loop after the overpass that's signed for traffic to eastbound Buena Vista (Studios etc.). In the past, I believe I've seen buses using this first option (issues with the curvature on the ramp, perhaps?), but yesterday I took the bus from Epcot to Studios and it used the loop.

So what's this extra roadway for? It seems like the cost of operating the traffic lights would have led to its closure long ago, unless there's a secret reason to keep it open.
 
Its just an alternative for folks that get off too early. That ramp design has been around a long time.
 
Its just an alternative for folks that get off too early.
I don't know. I've seen a lot of highway interchanges and, aside from a few strange ones in Maryland (e.g. I-70 and US 29, where it's actually the onramp that's duplicated), this is the only one where I've seen an extra redundant ramp. Anyway, if it were Disney policy to add such a ramp, why is there none at World and Osceola, where making a U-turn is more complicated (if the extra ramp at Buena Vista were removed, all you'd have to do is U-turn at the Coronado entrance)?

That ramp design has been around a long time.
Only since 1994 or so, when Buena Vista was extended across World. Prior to then, only the loop existed, and traffic to World southbound curved left. Here's an FDOT aerial photo from 1990: i50.tinypic.com/5mi7q0.jpg (can't post a link because my post county is under 10)
 
I don't know. I've seen a lot of highway interchanges and, aside from a few strange ones in Maryland (e.g. I-70 and US 29, where it's actually the onramp that's duplicated), this is the only one where I've seen an extra redundant ramp. Anyway, if it were Disney policy to add such a ramp, why is there none at World and Osceola, where making a U-turn is more complicated (if the extra ramp at Buena Vista were removed, all you'd have to do is U-turn at the Coronado entrance)?


Only since 1994 or so, when Buena Vista was extended across World. Prior to then, only the loop existed, and traffic to World southbound curved left. Here's an FDOT aerial photo from 1990: i50.tinypic.com/5mi7q0.jpg (can't post a link because my post county is under 10)

I wonder if maybe it's a holdover from the road extention work?

It's been a long time, But I could easily see them needing or wanting to close the original loop for exiting traffic while they were doing the necessary road work to re-orientate the roads because of the continuation of the road.

Since it's always been the primary route from the MK area to the DTD area (and EPCOT Resorts), the couldn't afford to remove access to Buena Vista from Southbound World Drive for any significant length of time.
 



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