Advance Warning Area: Freeways & Urban Roadways

The length of the advance warning area depends on the nature of the roadway. On freeways or expressways where traffic travels at high speeds and drivers expect to maintain their speed, the advance warning area should be longer. The distance from the beginning of the transition area can be a half mile or more. The suggested distance between the warnings is about 1,000 feet.

On urban roadways, the first warning sign should be placed at a distance in feet that is four to eight times the speed limit. For example, when the speed limit is 35 miles per hour (mph), the first warning sign should be placed from 140 feet to 280 feet from the beginning of the transition area. On lower-speed roadways, the warnings would be placed at 100-foot intervals. On higher-speed roadways the interval should be longer.

Confirm that nothing is blocking a driver's view of the signage, and that the signs do not block the view of vehicles entering or exiting the roadway.

To learn more about Roadway Temporary Traffic Control visit our Construction Roadway Temporary Traffic Control Online Training web page.