Delaware Administrative Code
Title 2 - Transportation
2000 - Department of Transportation
2400 - Division of Transportation Solutions
2402 - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
Part 4 - Highway Traffic Signals
Chapter 4D - TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNAL FEATURES
Section 4D.11 - Number of Signal Faces on an Approach
Current through Register Vol. 28, No. 3, September 1, 2024
Standard:
01 The signal faces for each approach to an intersection or a midblock location shall be provided as follows:
Option:
02 Where a movement (or a certain lane or lanes) at the intersection never conflicts with any other signalized vehicular or pedestrian movement, a continuously-displayed single-section GREEN ARROW signal indication may be used to inform road users that the movement is free-flow and does not need to stop.
Support:
03 In some circumstances where the through movement never conflicts with any other signalized vehicular or pedestrian movement at the intersection, such as at T-intersections with appropriate geometrics and/or pavement markings and signing, an engineering study might determine that the through movement (or certain lanes of the through movement) can be free-flow and not signalized.
Guidance:
04 If two or more left-turn lanes are provided for a separately controlled protected only mode left-turn movement, or if a left-turn movement represents the major movement from an approach, two or more primary left-turn signal faces should be provided.
05 If two or more right-turn lanes are provided for a separately controlled right-turn movement, or if a right-turn movement represents the major movement from an approach, two or more primary right-turn signal faces should be provided.
Support:
06 Locating primary signal faces overhead on the far side of the intersection has been shown to provide safer operation by reducing intersection entries late in the yellow interval and by reducing red signal violations, as compared to post-mounting signal faces at the roadside or locating signal faces overhead within the intersection on a diagonally-oriented mast arm or span wire. On approaches with two or more lanes for the through movement, one signal face per through lane, centered over each through lane, has also been shown to provide safer operation.
Guidance:
07 (DE Revision) If the posted or statutory speed limit or the 85th-percentile speed on an approach to a signalized location is 45 mph or higher, signal faces should be provided as follows for all new or reconstructed signal installations (see Figure 4D-3):
Guidance:
Support:
Standard:
| Table 4D-1. Recommended Minimum Number of Primary Signal Faces for Through Traffic on Approaches with Posted, Statutory, or 85th-Percentile Speed of 45 mph or Higher | ||||
| Number of Through Lanes on the Approach | Total Number of Primary Through Signal Faces for the Approach* | Minimum Number of Overhead-Mounted Primary Through Signal Faces for the Approach | ||
| 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 2 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 3 | 3 | 2** | ||
| 4 or more | 4 or more | 3** | ||
| NOTES: * A minimum of two through signal faces is always required (see Section 4D.11). These recommended numbers of through signal faces may be exceeded. Also, see cone of vision requirements otherwise indicated in Section 4D.13. ** If practical, all of the recommended number of primary through signal faces should be located overhead. | ||||
Guidance:
08 This layout of signal faces should also be considered for any major urban or suburban arterial street with four or more lanes and for other approaches with speeds of less than 45 mph.
