Decreased Congestion

• Adding other lanes can reduce traffic congestion. Traffic jams become prevalent at certain times, such as the morning commute to work or the afternoon commute home from work. Patrick DeCorla-Souzahe of the Federal Highway Administration reported in 2011 on a concept called Active Traffic Management (AcTM). In the AcTM plan, the shoulder converts into a traffic lane during peak times, allowing more traffic to flow. DeCorla-Souzahe further reported that in Europe, AcTM is in use as of 2011 and has met with good results. In 2011, roads departments in the United States are exploring the concept of AcTM.
  
  

Cost Savings

• Converting a shoulder into another lane is far cheaper than building another road. Building a road requires the purchasing of land and the use of bulldozers, earth-moving equipment and concrete equipment. The labor costs to build a road can run into the tens of millions of dollars or more --- so much so that states usually sell municipal bonds to investors to cover the costs of road building. Converting a shoulder into a lane is far cheaper. The only costs involved are perhaps to paint lane marker lines or "dress up" the extreme edge of the shoulder with a curb.
  
  

Time Savings Factors

• In many parts of the United States, concrete cannot be poured in the winter time, when water freezes, which may cause the construction of a road to last years. To convert a shoulder into a lane is far quicker and may take just one summer. The addition of two extra lanes can also reduce traffic congestion.
  
  

Multipassenger Lanes

• Proposed multipassenger vehicle lanes, called high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, will involve the slight narrowing of all lanes, allowing for the use of a shoulder in work zone areas as another lane. One lane is designated HOV and for multipassenger vehicles only,
  
  

Business Benefits

• Turning a two-lane road into a four-lane road has an offshoot benefit. The businesses along the road will likely enjoy slightly increased traffic frontage and exposure. Suppose you own a restaurant on the road. With a two-lane road, your restaurant is exposed to only two-lane-road traffic. A four-lane potentially allows for an increased number of passing vehicles, increasing the chance of travelers stopping in to eat. Retailers may also benefit from the increased traffic exposure.