Warning: Experimental traffic ahead.

Colorado’s Department of Transportation unveiled a pilot program this week that could help solve rush-hour traffic problems along one notorious section of Interstate 25.

A “direct lane” for commuters was striped this past weekend and gives fast-lane drivers on southbound I-25 a way to bypass traffic between County Line Road and Lincoln Avenue. (Once you commit to that lane—or decide to take any of the lanes to the right—crossing the double-white line is a no-no.) The idea, traffic engineers say, is to get commuters passing C-470 to use the far left lane and reduce jamming during peak hours.

But don’t get too excited about a potentially traffic-jam-changing plan yet. It’s only being used for a month, and then engineers will study the outcomes. Still, a successful test run could mean an officially designated direct lane in that area, plus more direct lanes in other congested traffic areas across the state. Keep your fingers crossed. Just not while you’re driving.

—Photo by Robert Sanchez