Turns, lanes, passing and parking
You are on a limited access expressway, and a paved path in the median connects your side with the other side. May you use it to make a U-turn?
- No. A U-turn is never allowed on a limited access expressway, even where such paths exist. Correct answer
- Yes, if you can see 500 feet in both directions.
- Yes, if no NO U-TURN sign is posted at the path.
Why
On a limited access expressway, a U-turn is always illegal, and the manual adds that this holds even where a path links the two sides of the expressway. So the existence of a crossover is not an invitation. The 500-foot visibility rule and the NO U-TURN sign are real conditions, but they apply to ordinary roads, where a U-turn may otherwise be allowed. Neither can make a U-turn legal on an expressway. The manual lists other places where U-turns are illegal too: in business districts of New York City, in school zones, and wherever a NO U-TURN sign is posted. If you must turn around, it suggests using a parking lot, driveway or other area.
Where this comes from
New York State Driver's Manual (MV-21), April 2026 version. The correct answer is No. A U-turn is never allowed on a limited access expressway, even where such paths exist.
More on turns, lanes, passing and parking
- Where a U-turn is allowed on a multi-lane road, from which position must you start it?
- You want to pass on the left on a two-way road. When you get back into the right lane, what is the minimum distance that must still separate you from any oncoming vehicle?
- On a two-way road, you are about 80 feet from a railroad crossing and a slow truck is in front of you. May you pass it on the left?
- On a two-lane, two-way road, the vehicle ahead of you slows down and signals to turn left. May you pass it on the right?