Delaware Administrative Code
Title 2 - Transportation
2000 - Department of Transportation
2400 - Division of Transportation Solutions
2402 - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
Part 3 - Marking
Chapter 3B - PAVEMENT AND CURB MARKINGS
Section 3B.09 - Lane-Reduction Transition Markings
Current through Register Vol. 28, No. 3, September 1, 2024
Support:
01 Lane-reduction transition markings are used where the number of through lanes is reduced because of narrowing of the roadway or because of a section of on-street parking in what would otherwise be a through lane. Lane-reduction transition markings are not used for lane drops.
Standard:
02 Except as provided in Paragraph 3, where pavement markings are used, lane-reduction transition markings shall be used to guide traffic through transition areas where the number of through lanes is reduced, as shown in Figure 3B-14. On two-way roadways, no-passing zone markings shall be used to prohibit passing in the direction of the convergence, and shall continue through the transition area.
Option:
03 On low-speed urban roadways where curbs clearly define the roadway edge in the lane-reduction transition, or where a through lane becomes a parking lane, the edge line and/or delineators shown in Figure 3B-14 may be omitted as determined by engineering judgment.
Guidance:
04 For roadways having a posted or statutory speed limit of 45 mph or greater, the transition taper length for a lane-reduction transition should be computed by the formula L = WS. For roadways where the posted or statutory speed limit is less than 45 mph, the formula L = WS2/60 should be used to compute the taper length.
Option:
Support:
05 Under both formulas, L equals the taper length in feet, W equals the width of the offset distance in feet, and S equals the 85th-percentile speed or the posted or statutory speed limit, whichever is higher.
Guidance:
06 Where observed speeds exceed posted or statutory speed limits, longer tapers should be used.
Option:
07 On new construction, where no posted or statutory speed limit has been established, the design speed may be used in the transition taper length formula.
Guidance:
08 (DE Revision) Lane line markings should be discontinued where the transition taper begins.
09 Except as provided in Paragraph 3 for low-speed urban roadways, the edge line markings shown in Figure 3B-14 should be installed from the location of the Lane Ends warning sign to beyond the beginning of the narrower roadway.
Support:
10 Pavement markings at lane-reduction transitions supplement the standard signs. See Section 3B.20 for provisions regarding use of lane-reduction arrows.
