The best detour is not automatically the shortest one: it is the shortest route that can safely and adequately carry the diverted traffic while meeting affected road users’ needs. If a highway is closed, follow the official detour signs and check the responsible transportation agency’s current closure information; the criteria below explain how agencies compare routes, not how to override a signed detour.
So, which detour route is best when a highway is closed for construction? The answer depends on whether the roads can accommodate the traffic, how much distance the route adds, who needs access, and whether users can follow the route and return to their trip. There is no universal score or ranking formula in the guidance reviewed here. The comparison is a practical planning exercise, and the requirements can vary by jurisdiction.
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What counts as a detour?
A detour temporarily reroutes road users onto an existing highway to avoid a temporary traffic-control zone. A diversion, by contrast, uses a temporary highway or alignment around the work area. The distinction matters because a detour depends on existing roads being suitable for the traffic transferred onto them. A route that appears to go around a closure is not automatically a usable detour: its roads still need to accommodate the diverted traffic, and users need a clear way to travel along the route.
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How agencies compare detour routes
There is no universal points formula in the guidance reviewed here. Instead, compare the practical constraints in sequence: first determine whether a candidate road can accommodate traffic, then compare distance and user needs, and confirm the route can be followed and authorized. These considerations are related, not interchangeable. A short route does not make up for a road that cannot sufficiently accommodate diverted traffic, and a road that can carry traffic may still leave important access or wayfinding needs unresolved.
A useful comparison starts with the same questions for every candidate. Record what is known about each route, identify which needs apply to the project, and keep jurisdiction-specific requirements separate from general route-selection considerations. This makes trade-offs visible without pretending that the available guidance supplies numerical weights or a single answer for every closure.
1. Can the road handle the diverted traffic?
Check pavement condition, roadway capacity, geometry, existing traffic on both the closed road and the candidate detour, and facility type. These factors help establish whether a road can sufficiently accommodate the traffic. A short route on a map may be a poor option if its surface, layout, or capacity is inadequate for the traffic expected to use it. Likewise, considering traffic already on the detour matters because diverted vehicles would be joining the road’s existing users, not traveling on an otherwise empty line on a map.
Apply the same set of checks to each candidate rather than examining one road in detail and judging another only by its distance. For pavement, consider the condition of the route’s roadway; for capacity, consider whether it can accommodate the traffic being redirected; for geometry, consider the road’s physical layout; and for existing traffic, consider conditions on both the route being closed and the proposed detour. The source guidance identifies these as comparison factors, but does not provide a universal numerical threshold for any of them. Do not turn the checklist into an unsupported claim that a road passes or fails by a particular number.
Facility type belongs in the comparison as well. The appropriate route is not determined by mileage alone: the type of road being used is one of the factors MoDOT says to evaluate. Document it alongside the physical and traffic considerations so decision-makers can see what kind of facility would carry the diverted traffic. The reviewed guidance does not establish that one facility type is always preferable in every project.
These criteria come from the Missouri Department of Transportation’s (MoDOT) Engineering Policy Guide, so treat them as Missouri guidance rather than a nationwide standard. Other jurisdictions may use different procedures or requirements.
2. How much distance does the route add?
Compare each candidate route with the closed highway and consider the type of road being used. Distance is a meaningful comparison because an alternative that takes users substantially away from the closed highway changes the trip they need to make. But mileage is only one part of the decision: it must be considered after, or together with, the question of whether the candidate road can accommodate the traffic.
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MoDOT’s policy is to provide detours over “the shortest possible route around the closure that can sufficiently accommodate the traffic.” The qualification is essential: shortest distance is a goal only when the route can sufficiently accommodate traffic. The statement is from MoDOT’s Engineering Policy Guide, section 616.2; it is agency guidance, not a universal national formula. Do not interpret it as an instruction to choose the shortest line on a map regardless of pavement, capacity, geometry, existing traffic, access, or route authorization.
For a practical comparison, write down how each candidate relates to the closed highway and identify the facility type. Then put that distance information beside the road-suitability information. This makes it possible to distinguish a route that is both relatively short and adequate from one that is shorter but cannot sufficiently accommodate traffic. It also prevents the comparison from hiding a critical trade-off inside a single mileage figure. The sources do not provide a standard measure of acceptable extra distance or a fixed time penalty to apply to every detour.
3. Who needs to get through or reach a destination?
A route comparison should account for more than motor-vehicle travel. FHWA temporary traffic-control planning guidance calls for considering accessible pedestrian circulation, transit continuity, railroad service, and access for abutting property owners and businesses. Depending on the project, other affected road users may also matter. Which needs are relevant depends on the work and the people and services affected; the point is to identify them rather than assume that moving through-traffic is the only concern.
For pedestrians, consider whether the work and the detour plan preserve accessible circulation. This is not the same question as whether drivers can traverse the alternative road. For transit, consider continuity of service: a plan that changes vehicle routing may affect people who rely on the service even if the road remains passable to cars. For rail service, identify whether the project’s temporary traffic-control planning needs to account for it. The cited guidance names railroad service as a consideration but does not prescribe a project-specific solution.
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Also consider access for abutting property owners and businesses. A road closure and the route used to get around it can affect people who need to reach a property along or near the work area, not just people traveling through the area. In a comparison, ask whether each candidate and its associated traffic-control plan addresses that access. The available guidance supports including these users in planning; it does not establish a single access arrangement suitable for every property or business.
Which of these factors should carry the most weight? The reviewed sources do not assign weights. Their practical value is to make the affected users and services explicit. List the needs that apply to the project, consider each candidate against those needs, and explain any remaining trade-offs. Do not claim that one route is best for every user if the available information only supports a more limited conclusion.
See FHWA’s work-zone transportation management planning guidance for the broader user and service considerations.
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4. Can users follow the route and return to their trip?
A route is not usable merely because it exists on a map. Directions and signs need to guide road users consistently along the detour, including a way to rejoin the original highway. A route comparison should therefore consider the whole path: whether users are directed onto the alternative, guided along it, and given directions to return to the original highway. Checking only the point where traffic leaves the closed road misses the rest of the trip.
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When comparing alternatives, look for gaps in the route’s directions as well as gaps in the road itself. Would a user understand where the detour begins? Are signs and directions needed across the full route? Is there a way for the user to return to the original highway? These are route-continuity questions, not a substitute for engineering review. A candidate road that is adequate in capacity and distance still needs a way for users to follow it.
5. Who controls the roads?
Confirm which agency owns or controls each road in the proposed route. A road may look like a convenient link on a map but be managed by a different transportation agency, so planners should not assume that it is available for a project’s detour. MoDOT says state routes should be used for detours, while local roads may be considered using engineering judgment. Using a road controlled by another agency requires an agreement with that agency under MoDOT’s guidance.
This is a jurisdiction-specific coordination issue, not a universal rule that every state must follow MoDOT’s process. Other jurisdictions may have different procedures, and an agreement may be needed when another agency’s road is part of the route. Identify the authority responsible for each segment early enough to establish whether coordination is required. The comparison is incomplete if it lists a road as an option without considering who controls it and whether its use can be authorized.
See MoDOT’s Engineering Policy Guide, section 616.2 for its detour guidance. Do not apply the Missouri-specific direction to another jurisdiction without checking that jurisdiction’s own requirements.
A practical comparison checklist
For each candidate route, record the same information so that trade-offs are visible rather than hidden in a single mileage figure. A simple side-by-side worksheet can use one row for each candidate and the following questions as columns. The purpose is not to generate a score that the official guidance does not provide; it is to make the considerations explicit and identify what still needs to be resolved.
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- Road suitability: What is known about pavement condition, capacity, geometry, and existing traffic on the candidate road? How does that compare with traffic on the closed road and the traffic that would be diverted?
- Distance and facility type: How does the route compare with the closed highway, and what type of road would carry the diverted traffic? Is the candidate the shortest route that can sufficiently accommodate traffic, rather than simply the shortest route on a map?
- Access and continuity: Which affected users and services need to be considered? Include accessible pedestrian circulation, transit, rail service, property owners, businesses, and other needs relevant to the project.
- Wayfinding: Are directions and signs needed throughout the route, from the point where users leave the closed road to the point where they rejoin the original highway? Are the applicable signing requirements being followed?
- Road authority: Who controls each segment? If another agency controls a road, what coordination or agreement is required under the applicable jurisdiction’s process?
Use the questions in sequence as a practical filter. First, look at whether the route can sufficiently accommodate the traffic. Next, compare distance and facility type among plausible options. Then consider access needs, route continuity, signing, and road authority. This does not mean every project will resolve each factor in the same order; it provides a way to avoid letting a single attractive feature, such as lower mileage, obscure a constraint that matters to the route’s use.
If a factor is unknown, identify it as unknown rather than silently treating it as acceptable. The sources reviewed do not provide project-specific condition data, traffic forecasts, delay estimates, or current closure information. Those facts have to come from the responsible project and road authorities. Similarly, the checklist cannot tell a reader which candidate route is fastest or safest without a location and evidence about that project.
Use these checks as a decision sequence, not as weighted scores. The cited guidance establishes considerations, but does not assign numerical weights that would let every project rank routes with a universal calculation. A comparison table can help explain why a route was considered or ruled out, but it should not be presented as an official scoring method unless the relevant agency has adopted one.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the 400-AADT figure does—and does not—mean
MoDOT’s Engineering Policy Guide, updated in 2026, says that based on engineering judgment a project on a route with less than 400 average annual daily traffic (AADT) may not require a signed detour route. AADT means average annual daily traffic. The word “may” and the reference to engineering judgment matter: the figure is a conditional option in Missouri guidance, not an automatic exemption for every low-volume road or project.
This is a Missouri-specific option about whether to sign a detour in a particular low-traffic circumstance. It is not a national threshold, a safety rating, or a benchmark for deciding which of two candidate routes is better. It does not mean that a route carrying less than 400 AADT is suitable for any diverted traffic, nor does it rank candidates by capacity. Do not compare a route’s mileage or suitability using 400 AADT as if it were a general pass/fail threshold. See the MoDOT section 616.2 guidance and check the requirements of the jurisdiction responsible for the project.
What to do during an active closure
Drivers should follow the official signs for the closure and check current information from the transportation agency responsible for that highway. The engineering criteria above explain route planning; they do not establish live conditions, delays, or the best route for a specific closure. The reviewed sources are planning and traffic-control guidance, not a live traffic feed or a project-specific route comparison.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Do not substitute a personal map-based shortcut for the signed detour. A route that looks shorter on a screen may not have been selected for the closure, may not account for the road’s ability to accommodate diverted traffic, or may not provide continuity back to the original highway. The appropriate source for current closure information is the responsible transportation agency, and the directions provided for the active closure should guide the trip.
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Common comparison mistakes
- Choosing by mileage alone: MoDOT’s “shortest possible route” language is qualified by the requirement that the route sufficiently accommodate traffic. A short route is not automatically suitable.
- Treating a map route as a complete detour: A usable route needs directions along its length and a way to return to the original highway, not just a connection around the work area.
- Considering only drivers: FHWA planning guidance includes accessible pedestrian circulation, transit continuity, railroad service, and access for abutting property owners and businesses.
- Assuming every road is available: Road control matters. In MoDOT guidance, using another agency’s road requires an agreement, and requirements vary by jurisdiction.
- Applying a local figure nationally: The 400-AADT provision is a Missouri-specific option based on engineering judgment about whether a signed detour may be required. It is not a national route-selection threshold.
- Expecting a universal ranking formula: The cited guidance lists factors but does not prescribe numerical weights. Any project-specific ranking needs to follow the responsible agency’s process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the shortest detour always the best one?
No. MoDOT guidance favors the shortest possible route that can sufficiently accommodate traffic. Pavement condition, capacity, geometry, existing traffic, facility type, user access, signing, and road authority also matter. The MoDOT statement is Missouri guidance, not a universal national formula.
What should be compared when evaluating two detour routes?
Compare pavement condition, roadway capacity and geometry, existing traffic on the closed road and candidate detour, facility type, route distance, affected user needs, signs and directions across the route, and which agency controls each road. The sources reviewed do not assign numerical weights to these factors.
Does a detour need signs all the way to the original highway?
The route needs clear directions along its length and a way for road users to return to the original highway. FHWA’s 2023 MUTCD says a DETOUR sign should be used in advance of a detour over a different roadway or route. State adoption and amendments can vary.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsCan planners use a local road as a detour?
It depends on the jurisdiction and the road’s suitability. MoDOT says state routes should be used, while local roads may be considered using engineering judgment. Under MoDOT guidance, using a road controlled by another agency requires an agreement with that agency. Check the applicable local requirements.
Does the 400-AADT figure apply everywhere?
No. MoDOT’s 2026 Engineering Policy Guide says, based on engineering judgment, a project on a route with less than 400 AADT may not require a signed detour route. That is a Missouri-specific option, not a national threshold or a way to rank candidate routes.
Should I take a different route from the signed detour if my map shows a shortcut?
For an active closure, follow the official detour signs and check the responsible transportation agency’s current closure information. The planning guidance does not establish live conditions or validate a map-based shortcut for a particular closure.
The Bottom Line
Compare detours by asking whether each road can accommodate diverted traffic, how much distance it adds, who needs access, whether users can follow it back to the original highway, and who controls its roads. The shortest route is only a good candidate if it is adequate and can be coordinated. There is no universal ranking formula, and drivers facing an active closure should follow official signs and current agency information.
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