ALSANCAK MAIN ROAD – SUDDEN LEFT-TURN INTO RETAIL COMPLEX WITHOUT BUFFER

On the Alsancak Main Road, several retail complexes are positioned directly along the corridor without dedicated deceleration pockets. Access requires a left turn across active opposing flow.

The exposure does not begin with congestion.
It begins with misjudged timing under steady movement.

Time pattern: 17:30–19:30 weekdays. Secondary window: 12:00–14:30 Saturdays.

During these periods, westbound traffic remains continuous but not gridlocked. Eastbound flow toward Karaoğlanoğlu also sustains moderate density. Drivers approaching a retail complex on the inland side often delay their lane positioning until close to the entrance.

The left-turn decision compresses quickly.

A typical local sequence unfolds:

Vehicle A proceeds westbound and begins slowing late in preparation for a left turn into a retail forecourt.
Vehicle B follows at stabilized corridor speed, not anticipating a major deceleration.
Simultaneously, eastbound vehicles continue in opposing flow with small but steady gaps.
Vehicle A commits to the turn during a marginal opening.

The maneuver creates two compression points:

Rear-end compression from following traffic.
Cross-flow tension with approaching eastbound vehicles.

Unlike suburban connectors with median refuge islands, this segment of Alsancak Main Road offers no structured buffering for staged left turns. The driver must calculate gap timing and rear-following tolerance simultaneously.

Historically, as retail density expanded inland from the coastal strip through the 2010s, access frequency increased without median redesign. The visual language of the corridor remained linear and open. Functional interruption intensified.

Evening glare adds complexity. Westbound drivers face lower sun angles in certain seasons. Eastbound headlights at dusk reduce depth perception. Brake lights and indicators compete with illuminated commercial signage.

The structural seam forms under three simultaneous pressures:

Late deceleration
Continuous opposing flow
No median refuge

The risk is not reckless turning. It is misaligned expectation. Following drivers interpret steady corridor movement. The turning driver calculates a closing gap.

Alsancak Main Road does not visually signal the need for early lane commitment before retail access. When deceleration begins too close to the entrance, compression spreads both backward and across the centerline.

The turn is short.
The decision window is narrower than perceived.