chicken lane

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

An additional lane in the middle of a two-way street that assists drivers who are turning onto the two-way street.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

It's about two miles long with three lanes - one this way, one that way, and a chicken lane. Our driver was determined that the chicken lane was his going across the bridge driving about sixty miles per hour.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “chicken lane” mean?

An additional lane in the middle of a two-way street that assists drivers who are turning onto the two-way street.

Is “chicken lane” formal or informal?

chicken lane is generally slang.