CONTRAFLOW

noun (Lifestyle and Leisure) In the UK, a temporary traffic flow system (for example during carriageway repairs on a motorway) in which traffic is diverted on to the outer lane or lanes of the opposite carriageway, so that the carriageway which remains fully operational is in effect a temporary two-way road. Etymology: Contraflow has existed as a word meaning 'flow in the opposite direction' since the thirties; the traffic use is a specialized application of this sense. History and Usage: The first contraflow systems on British roads--at least, the first to be called contraflow--appeared in the seventies. As the country's system of motorways began to age in the eighties, the contraflow became a seemingly ubiquitous sight and one was reported on radio traffic news almost every day. Sometimes contraflow is used on its own to signify the whole traffic-flow system; often, though, it is used attributively in contraflow system, etc. Resurfacing...has meant closing the northbound section and funnelling traffic into a contraflow system of two lanes each way on the southbound side. The Times 9 Apr. 1985, p. 3 A spokesman said the contraflow was working smoothly at the time of the crash and visibility was good. Daily Telegraph 7 Sept. 1987, p. 4