Mind the Flash: New, safer ‘flashing yellow arrow’ signals coming to a northeast Kentucky intersection near you
Five installations scheduled week of Dec. 14 in Greenup County
FLEMINGSBURG, Ky. (Dec. 10, 2015) – Traffic technicians expect to install new flashing yellow arrow signals beginning next week, the week of Dec. 14, at five Greenup County intersections.
Work will require flaggers to direct traffic at intersections during daytime work hours as crews shut down existing traffic signals and install new ones at the following locations, tentatively in this order:
- US 23 at the U.S. Grant Bridge at Portsmouth
- US 23 at KY 2 in Greenup
- KY 693 (Diedrich Boulevard) at KY 1093 near Flatwoods
- KY 693 at KY 1725
- KY 693 at KY 1172
Work could take several days to complete, and is dependent upon weather – the first installation will likely occur Tuesday, Dec. 15, after forecasted rain – and contractor schedules. Motorists should watch for warning signs and heed all signals from flaggers in order to safely navigate intersections during construction.
Once operational, the new signals will join several others installed earlier this year on US 23 at KY 7 in South Shore and on US 23 at the Carl Perkins Bridge.
The work is part of an ongoing Kentucky Department of Highways District 9 safety enhancement project that involves replacing yield-on-green signals with flashing yellow arrow signals at more than 20 locations along state highways in Greenup, Boyd, Carter and Rowan counties.
The new arrow signals can reduce the risk of making left turns across lanes of oncoming traffic by providing more detailed information to drivers. They will not change existing traffic patterns.
SAFER AND MORE EFFICIENT
In most situations, when standard traffic signals turn green for through traffic, motorists making left turns may “yield on green” and wait their turn to cross the opposing lanes of traffic.
“Our new arrow signals, like ones motorists might have seen already in Morehead, Lexington or in other areas, will provide additional direction and warnings to those drivers waiting to make left turns,” said Terry Ishmael, District 9’s traffic engineer. “These signals offer a safer and more efficient way to establish right of way for left-turning vehicles.”
After installation, there will be four different left arrows that motorists could see:
- A steady red arrow means stop. Drivers turning left must stop.
- A steady yellow arrow means the signal is getting ready to turn red. Drivers turning left should stop if it is safe to do so.
- A flashing yellow arrow means left turns are permitted, but drivers must first yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, then proceed with caution.
- A steady green arrow means left turns are protected. Drivers may turn left. Conflicting traffic must stop.
Now being used at intersections across the country, this new left-turn arrow configuration stemmed from a Federal Highway Administration study about five years ago that showed the arrows had a higher level of driver comprehension.
In other words, motorists sometimes mistook the circular yield-on-green signal as implying that the left turn had the right of way over opposing traffic, but when faced with flashing yellow arrows motorists more easily understood yield conditions and made fewer mistakes – which resulted in fewer crashes.
In the last several years, testing of the new arrow displays in Kentucky and other states not only confirmed that crash reduction, but also showed they can reduce delays at signalized intersections by providing more choices in traffic signal timing.
NOT FOR ALL LOCATIONS
Flashing yellow arrows are most beneficial at intersections that have lower speeds, lower traffic volumes or have other favorable conditions.
Over the next few months, expect additional flashing yellow arrow signal installations at intersections along US 23, US 60 and KY 180 in Boyd County, US 60 and KY 1/7 in Carter County, and at several KY 32 locations at Morehead in Rowan County. Flashing arrow signals are already operational at the KY 32 and Second Street, US 60 and Bridge Street, and US 60 and University Boulevard intersections in Morehead.
At many intersections, especially complicated or busy ones, the new signals will not be installed and left-turning traffic will remain “protected” – that is, only a solid green arrow will be used to signal when left turns can be made.
