Everything you know about merging is wrong

We all recognize the jerks on the road when it comes time to merge.

A construction project has narrowed the number of open lanes, and these motorists have the audacity to shoot to the front of the line and cut into the remaining open lane amid a chorus of honks, yells and gestures.

However, they're the ones who are merging correctly, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The department has been promoting for a decade the "zipper method" of merging when traffic is particularly congested. Officials recommend this late-merge strategy in which drivers use the entire roadway and take turns merging from the closed lane into the open one at the point when the road narrows.

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In heavy congestion, this strategy reduces delays by as much as 35 percent, according to the department.

When people merge early, they create a more severe backup because they leave a lane unused, CDOT spokesman Bob Wilson said.

Despite the department's decade-long effort, people still merge early.

"I don't know what it's going to take to get people on board," Wilson said. "Changing people's driving behaviors is a long process."

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Merging early in low congestion has less of a negative impact.

Various projects around the city and the region have reduced traffic to one lane, such as the ongoing construction in north Fort Collins on U.S. Highway 287 and at the intersection of Timberline and Prospect roads.

For a comprehensive view of lane closures and other construction projects, fcgov.com/fctrip.