Motorists and residents will see new traffic signals installed at six local intersections in the coming weeks as the Virginia Department of Transportation works to improve safety and efficiency for drivers making left turns at those locations.
The new signals use a flashing yellow arrow instead of a solid green ball to indicate that drivers may turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic.
The new flashing yellow arrow signals will be installed at the following locations:
- Route 15 (James Madison Highway) at Route 250 (3 Notch Road) in Louisa County
- Route 229 (Rixeyville Road) at Route 685 (Chestnut Fork Road) in Culpeper County
- Route 250 (Richmond Road) at the two ramps to Interstate 64 in Albemarle County
- Route 631 (5th Street) at the two ramps to I-64 in Albemarle County
The signals on Route 229 at Route 685 in Culpeper are scheduled to be installed overnight Wednesday, June 1. The following night, the signals on Route 250 at the ramps to I-64 in Shadwell will be installed. Traffic disruption will be minimal during installation, but motorists are asked to be mindful of workers near the roadway and obey lane closures and other traffic controls.
Flashing yellow arrow signals are installed at nine locations throughout central Virginia and additional locations will be considered as funding becomes available.
A 2003 national study found the flashing yellow arrow more clearly communicates a message of caution than the solid green ball, and as a result, reduces the risk of left turn-related crashes.
Another important benefit of the flashing yellow arrow is operational flexibility, which helps VDOT maximize the flow of traffic through an intersection. With this type of signal, changes can be made to the order in which traffic proceeds, as well as to the timing of the left-turn movement based on traffic volumes during peak travel times.
For more information, visit www.virginiadot.org/projects/culpeper/flashingyellow.asp.
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Chris Graham
