It's pretty mellow if you start out on a Sunday around 5:30 am. Then it gets louder and louder, but that just makes me ride faster. There are no barriers but the e-lane is generally around 12' wide at least. The alternative roads are windy 2-lane with no shoulder deals that the locals roll @ 50mph. So your options are getting passed by 50 mph traffic about 3' away or 70 mph traffic about 10' away. Every exit has to be crossed carefully, of course but it's not too tough. With the exception of one just north of here that's a 2-lane exit. I hate those. That's why I think the forbidden zone needs to be pushed up a bit.

I'd bet a lot of the interstates in your area are legal to ride as well. Pretty common in the western states.

Definitely want to be running Mr. Tuffies. E-lanes are serious debris fields!

When the wind sucks I keep hoping for a long line of trucks to roll by to block the wind and pull me along.