
In
road and highway construction, a gore (or nose in modern British English)
is a triangular plot of land as designated when a road forks at the intersection with second road, or merges on and off from a larger one. A "virtual" (or theoretical) gore is a triangular shaped space, characteristically marked off with distinguishing highway paint, often found leading to the unpaved area of a larger physical gore.
The term ''gore'' (describing a space) is a historic one, representing a characteristically
triangular piece of land, often designated incidentally when two surveys failed to meet. Etymologically it is derived from
gār, meaning spear.
A theoretical gore is commonly marked with transverse or
chevron painted lines (much as
traffic islands) at both entrance and
exit ramps. These help separate drivers on the mainline from those entering and exiting the highway, and also aid the latter category of drivers in regulating their speed while accelerating and decelerating. Gores at exit ramps occasionally feature
impact attenuator
An impact attenuator, also known as a crash cushion, crash attenuator, or cowboy cushion, is a device intended to reduce the damage to structures, vehicles, and motorists resulting from a motor vehicle Traffic collision, collision. Impact attenuat ...
s, especially when something solid follows the theoretical or physical gore, such as a
bridge abutment.
In the US, at the "theoretical gore point", a dotted white line becomes a wide solid white channelizing line and another wide solid white line angles off along the edge of the diverging road, forming an elongated white triangle in front of the gore. This as a "neutral area" with white chevron markings optionally added.
See also
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Intersection (road)
An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections ar ...
References
External links
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Road infrastructure
Road surface markings
{{Road-stub
de:Fahrbahnmarkierung#Flächenmarkierungen