zipper merge

American  

[zip-er murj] / ˈzɪp ər ˌmɜrdʒ /

noun

1. a way of reducing two lanes of traffic into one by having vehicles enter the single stream of traffic one at a time from each lane and only at the point where the lanes join together.

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Etymology

Origin of zipper merge

First recorded in 2000–05

Example Sentences

The Texas Transportation Institute found that a zipper merge strategy delayed the onset of congestion at the merge point by about 14 minutes and cut the maximum line of cars by 1,800 feet.

From New York Times • Jul. 10, 2021

The bill, which has yet to pass the Senate, would also require that driver’s license and driver education handbooks include the zipper merge.

From New York Times • Jul. 10, 2021

The North Carolina House passed a bill that would mandate the zipper merge when lanes merged into one.

From New York Times • Jul. 10, 2021

Traffic experts largely agree that the best way to combine two busy lanes is a technique called the zipper merge.

From New York Times • Jul. 10, 2021

We were in a slow-rolling zipper merge, and she refused to let me in.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 1, 2018