Delaware Administrative Code
Title 2 - Transportation
2000 - Department of Transportation
2400 - Division of Transportation Solutions
2402 - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
Part 2 - Signs
Chapter 2E - GUIDE SIGNS-FREEWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS
Section 2E.21 - Design of Overhead Arrow-per-Lane Guide Signs for Option Lanes

Universal Citation: 2 DE Admin Code 2E.21

Current through Register Vol. 28, No. 3, September 1, 2024

Support:

01 Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide signs (see Figure 2E-3) are used where an option lane is present at freeway and expressway multi-lane exit interchanges and splits. They display an upward-pointing arrow above each lane that conveys the direction(s) of travel that the lane serves at the point of departure. At locations where an option lane is present at a multi-lane exit or split, Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide signs have been shown to be superior to either conventional guide signs or Diagrammatic guide signs because they convey positive direction about which destination and direction each approach lane serves, particularly for the option lane, which is otherwise difficult to clearly sign.

Standard:

02 Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide signs shall be used on all new or reconstructed freeways and expressways as described in Section 2E.20.

03 Where used, the Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide sign at the exit or split shall be located at or in the immediate vicinity of the point where the exiting lanes begin to diverge from the through lanes or, for a split, at the point where the approach lanes begin to diverge from one another, preserving the relation of the arrows displayed on the sign to their respective lanes. The Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide sign at the exit shall not be located at or near the theoretical gore.

Option:

04 At existing or non-reconstructed locations where Exit Direction and Pull-Through signs exist at the theoretical gore, the existing sign support structure may remain in place, continuing to use Exit Direction and Pull-Through signs, in conjunction with a replacement of the advance signs using the Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide sign design.

Click here to view Image

Standard:

05 If existing Exit Direction and Pull-Through signs are being retained at an interchange as provided in Paragraph 4, an Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide sign shall not be used at the location of the Exit Direction and Pull-Through signs at or in the vicinity of the theoretical gore. New installations of Exit Direction and Pull-Through signs shall not be permitted in conjunction with Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide signs on new or reconstructed facilities.

Guidance:

06 Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide signs should be located at approximately 1/2 mile and 1 mile in advance of the exit or split, and at approximately 2 miles in advance of the exit or split where space is available and conditions allow.

Standard:

07 Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide signs used on freeways and expressways shall include one arrow above each lane and shall be designed in accordance with the following criteria:

A. The sign shall include an upward-pointing arrow for each lane of the approach to the split or exit, and the shaft of each arrow shall be located approximately over the center of the lane to which it applies.

B. Arrows for continuing through lanes shall be vertically upward pointing (see Figure 2E-4) unless those lanes are on a significantly curved alignment beyond the theoretical gore, in which case the arrows for the continuing through lanes shall indicate the approximate degree of curvature (see Figure 2E-5).

C. The arrow for a lane that must exit shall be curved in the direction of the exit and shall be accompanied by black-on-yellow EXIT (E11-1a) and ONLY (E11-1b) sign panels adjacent to the lower end of the arrow shaft. The E11-1a and E11-1b sign panels shall not be used for a split of two overlapping routes where neither of the diverging routes is designated as an exit. Where the through lanes curve and the exit continues on a straight alignment, upward-pointing vertical arrows shall be used for the exiting movement and curved arrows for the through movement.

D. The arrow for an optional exit lane that also carries the through route shall have a single shaft that bifurcates into a vertically upward-pointing arrow and a curving arrow corresponding to the configuration of the through and exit lanes.

E. For splits with an option lane, the arrow for the lane from which either direction of the split can be accessed shall have a single shaft that bifurcates into two upward-pointing curving arrows showing the approximate degrees of curvature of the two roadways beyond the theoretical gore (see Figure 2E-6).

F. A vertical white line shall be used to separate the route shields and destinations for the two diverging movements from each other.

G. The distance to the exit or split shall be displayed below the off-movement destination on the advance signs at the 1-mile and 2-mile locations.

H. The number of lanes displayed on a sign shall correspond to the number of lanes at the location of that sign. An advance sign shall not depict lanes that are added downstream of a sign location.

I. For numbered exits, the Exit Number (E1-5P) or Left Exit Number (E1-5bP) plaque shall be used at the top of the sign in accordance with Section 2E.31. For unnumbered left exits, the LEFT (E1-5aP) plaque shall be used at the top left edge of the sign.

Guidance:

08 Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide signs used on freeways and expressways should be designed in accordance with the following additional criteria:

A. No more than one destination should be displayed for each movement, and no more than two destinations should be displayed per sign.

B. The arrowhead(s) for the diverging movement should be positioned lower on the sign than the arrowhead(s) for the movement that continues straight ahead, independent of which movement carries the through route. Where the movements are freeway or expressway splits rather than exits, the arrowheads should be positioned at approximately the same height on the sign.

C. Route shields, cardinal directions, and destinations should be positioned on the sign such that they are clearly related to the arrowhead(s) for the movement to which they apply.

D. The cardinal direction should be placed adjacent to the route shield for exits or splits leading in a single cardinal direction.

E. The vertical white line that is used to separate the route shields and destinations for the two diverging movements from each other should not descend below the top of the arrowheads for the through lanes, and should be positioned approximately halfway between the diverging arrowheads for the optional movement lane (see Figure 2E-3).

Standard:

09 Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide signs shall not be used to depict a downstream split of an exit ramp on a sign located on the mainline.

Support:

10 Specific guidelines for more detailed design of Overhead Arrow-per-Lane guide signs are contained in the "Standard Highway Signs and Markings" book (see Section 1A.11).

Option:

11 Where extra emphasis of an especially low advisory ramp speed is needed, an EXIT XX MPH (E13-2) sign panel (see Figure 2E-27) may be placed below the applicable destination legend to supplement, but not to replace, the exit or ramp advisory speed warning signs.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Delaware may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.