We're so inadequate at navigating lane closures, the DOT is now spelling it out for us on large lighted signs: "Use both lanes." It might as well say, "Use both lanes, Dummies."

But that's cool. We can take instruction.

Jan Amyette, of Bettendorf, is a retired Moline business owner who has had more experience with lane closures on the I-74 bridge than she cares to count.

"I've battled that bridge for 26 years," she said. "It's so exasperating. I remember feeling angry at those people using the empty lane. Even though I would love to sneak over into the other lane, I feel guilty."

Aha! Therein lies our problem: We are too polite. We would rather spend an extra half hour in a single line, cursing the passers, than risk the crooked eye from a stranger in another car. The fix for this is fairness: If everybody takes a tooth in the so-called "Zipper" system, everyone (supposedly) wins.

"This is something I've seen done in Pennsylvania on a project, and we've talked about it over the years," explained John Wegmeyer, project implementation engineer for Illinois DOT. "We're trying to eliminate long backups and trucks and other vehicles trying to straddle the lanes."