Re: Rep Retirement Lodge #13^2: Independence!
Sooooo....
Heading from offsite to the main building today at 4:05pm (1.7 miles, .7 miles to the only main intersection). I see a backup, normal for that time of day, I figure it'd take 3 stoplights to cross. 20 minutes pass, I've gotten halfway closer to the intersection. I then notice our stoplight isn't changing at all. Um, wha?
Apparently, an ambulance went through the intersection with lights/sirens a bit earlier, triggering the strobes and changing the lights. Except they never reverted back to the normal cycle. My stoplight remained red. Constantly. So people had to cross/turn whenever there was a gap in traffic. It was like friggin' Frogger.

I arrived at the main building at 4:50. Bosses didn't know what was going on (why was I late). I told them, and then one of our drivers happened to show up and confirm the story.
No, I couldn't turn around from the left lane (wasn't in it), and no, there were no alt-routes to take, given the lane I was in. I was stuck. No harm no foul on my part, it was just incredibly frustrating.
But I did find out I don't have to work on Fri (running a skeleton crew) so yay.