ALSANCAK AXIS – MISJUDGED OVERTAKE ATTEMPT BETWEEN RETAIL NODES
Along the Alsancak Axis, short open segments appear between dense retail clusters. These gaps are not long, but they visually suggest opportunity.
The risk forms inside that illusion.
Time pattern: 18:00–20:30 weekdays. Secondary window: 13:00–15:00 Saturdays.
During these hours, westbound flow remains steady but interrupted by turning vehicles, pedestrian crossings, and commercial entries. When a brief straight segment opens between two retail nodes, some drivers interpret it as a safe overtaking window.
The distance is shorter than it looks.
A typical sequence unfolds:
Vehicle A slows slightly to prepare for a right-side commercial entry.
Vehicle B behind perceives hesitation and initiates lateral movement to overtake.
The open segment appears sufficient.
However, a pedestrian drift, delivery stop, or left-turn vehicle ahead reduces usable space unexpectedly.
The overtaking vehicle must abort or compress back into lane.
Unlike rural overtaking attempts, this exposure occurs inside a commercially active strip. The corridor is visually open for a few seconds but functionally unstable.
Historically, as frontage density increased along the Alsancak corridor through the 2010s and 2020s, interruption frequency multiplied. Yet the straight geometry between clusters remained unchanged, preserving the illusion of a passing lane.
Evening lighting further complicates the maneuver. Headlight glare reduces clarity of oncoming eastbound vehicles. Brake lights ahead may be partially masked by illuminated signage.
The structural seam forms under four conditions:
Short straight gap between retail clusters
Minor speed differential
Continuous opposing flow
Unpredictable frontage interruption
The risk is not aggression alone. It is misreading corridor stability.
On the Alsancak Axis, a straight segment between retail nodes is not a safe passing zone. It is a brief visual clearing inside an active strip.
The opening looks long enough.
It closes faster than expected.