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Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)

NOTE: The original document was published by the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as Part VI of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD): "Standards and Guides for Traffic Controls for Street and Highway Construction, Maintenance, Utility, and Incident Management Operations," 1988 edition, Revision 3, September 3, 1993. The current edition of the MUTCD is available online.

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Image of Cover Page from Part VI of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Part VI, Standards and Guides for Traffic Controls for Street and Highway Construction, Maintenance, Utility, and Incident Management Operations. 1988 edition of the MUTCD, Revision 3, September 3, 1993.

TABLE OF CONTENTS


SI* (Modern Metric) Conversion Factors

Errata 1

6A. Introduction

6B. Fundamental Principles

6C. Temporary Traffic Control Elements
6C-1. Traffic Control Plans
6C-2. Definition of Temporary Traffic Control Zone Components
a. Advance Warning Area
b. Transition Area
c. Activity Area
(1) Work Space
(2) Traffic Space
(3) Buffer Space
(4) Incident Management Vehicle Storage Space
d. Termination Area
6C-3. Tapers
a. Merging-Taper
b. Shifting Taper
c. Shoulder Taper
d. Downstream Taper
e. One-Lane, Two-Way Taper
6C-4. Detours and Diversions

6C-5. One-Lane, Two-Way Traffic Control
a. Flagger Method
b. Flag Transfer method
c. Pilot Car Method
d. Temporary Traffic Signal Method
e. Stop or Yield Control Method
6C-6. Transit Considerations
6D. Pedestrian and Worker Safety
6D-1. Pedestrian Considerations
6D-2. Worker Safety Considerations
6E. Hand-Signaling Control
6E-1. Function
6E-2. Qualifications for Flaggers
6E-3. High-Visibility Clothing
6E-4. Hand-Signaling Devices
6E-5. Hand-Signaling Procedures
6E-6. Flagger Station
6F. Types of Devices
6F-1. Signs
a. Regulatory Signs
b. Warning Signs
c. Guide Signs
6F-2. Portable Changeable Message Signs
a. Design
b. Application
6F-3. Arrow Displays
a. Arrow Display Specifications
b. Arrow Display Application
6F-4. High-Level Warning Devices

6F-5. Channelizing Devices
a. General
b. Cones
(1) Cone Design
(2) Cone Application
c. Tubular Markers
(1) Design
(2) Application
d. Vertical Panels
(1) Design
(2) Application
e. Drums
(1) Design
(2) Application
f. Barricades
(1) Design
(2) Application
g. Portable Barriers
h. Temporary Raised Islands
i. Other Channelizing Devices
6F-6. Markings
a. Pavement Marker Applications
b. Interim Markings
c. Raised Pavement Markers
d. Delineators
6F-7. Lighting Devices
a. Function
b. Floodlights
c. Flashing Identification Beacons (Flashing Electric Lights)
d. Steady Burning Electric Lamps
e. Warning Lights
6F-8. Other Devices
a. Impact Attenuators
b. Portable Barriers
c. Temporary Traffic Signals
d. Rumble Strips e. Screens
f. Opposing Traffic Lane Divider
6G. Types of Temporary Traffic Control Zone Activities
6G-1. Typical Applications
6G-2. Selecting The Typical Application
a. Duration of Work
(1) Long-Term Stationary
(2) Intermediate-Term Stationary
(3) Short-Term Stationary
(4) Short Duration
(5) Mobile
b. Location of Work
c. Roadway Type
6G-3. Work Outside of Shoulder
6G-4. Work On The Shoulder
a. No Encroachment on Traveled Way
b. Minor Encroachment on Traveled Way
6G-5. Work Within Traveled Way-Rural Two-Lane
a. Detours b. One-Way Traffic Control
6G-6. Work Within Traveled Way-Urban Streets Or Arterial\
6G-7. Work Within Traveled Way-Rural Or Urban, Multilane Divided and Undivided, Nonaccess Controlled
a. Right Lane Closed
b. Left Lane Closed
c. Multiple Lanes Closed
d. Five-Lane Roads
6G-8. Work Within Traveled Way-Intersections
6G-9. Work Within Traveled Way-Freeways
a. Problem Areas
b. Two-Lane, Two-Way Traffic on One Roadway of a Normally Divided Highway
c. Crossovers
d. Interchanges
6G-10. Control of Traffic Through Incident Areas
6H. Application of Devices
6H-1. Typical Applications
6H-2. General Notes
a. Work Performed on the Roadside (Outside Shoulder)
b. Work Performed on Shoulders
c. Mobile and Short-Duration Operations
(1) Short Duration
(2) Mobile Operations
d. Lane Closing on Two-Lane Roads
e. Lane Closing on Multilane Roads
f. Work Performed in the Vicinity of Intersections
(1) Work Space on the Near Side of Intersections
(2) Work Space on the Far Side of Intersections
(3) Work Space Within the Intersection
g. Incident Management Situations
h. Features That May be Added to the Diagrams
6H-3. Typical Application Diagrams
List of Tables
VI-1. Guidelines for length of longitudinal buffer space
VI-2. Taper length criteria for temporary traffic control zones
VI-3. Suggested advance warning sign spacing
VI-4. Index to typical application diagrams

List of Figures
VI-1. Component parts of a temporary traffic control zone
VI-2. Tapers and buffer space
VI-3. Example of one lane-two way traffic control
VI-4. Use of hand-signaling devices by flagger
VI-5. Height and lateral location of signs-typical installation
VI-6. Methods of mounting signs other than on posts
VI-7a-b. Commonly used regulatory signs
VI-8a-c. Warning signs used in temporary traffic control zones
VI-9. Advance warning arrow panel specifications
VI-10. Channelizing devices
VI-11. Symbols used in typical application diagrams

TA-1. Work beyond the shoulder
TA-2. Blasting zone
TA-3. Work on shoulders
TA-4. Mobile operation on shoulder
TA-5. Shoulder closed on freeway
TA-6. Shoulder work with minor encroachment
TA-7. Road closed with diversion
TA-8. Roads closed with off-site detour
TA-9. Roads open and closed with detour
TA-10. Lane closure on two-lane road using flaggers
TA-11. Lane closure on low-volume, two-lane road
TA-12. Lane closure on two-lane road using traffic signals
TA-13. Temporary road closure
TA-14. Haul road crossing
TA-15. Work in center of low-volume road
TA-16. Surveying along centerline of low-volume road
TA-17. Mobile operations on two-lane road
TA-18. Lane closure on minor street
TA-19. Detour for one travel direction
TA-20. Detour for closed street
TA-21. Lane closure near side of intersection
TA-22. Right lane closure far side of intersection
TA-23. Left lane closure far side of intersection
TA-24. Half road closure far side of intersection
TA-25. Multiple lane closures at intersection
TA-26. Closure in center of intersection
TA-27. Closure at side of intersection
TA-28. Sidewalk closures and bypass walkway
TA-29. Crosswalk closures and pedestrian detours
TA-30. Interior lane closure on multilane road
TA-31. Lane closure on streets with uneven directional volumes
TA-32. Half road closure on multilane high-speed highways
TA-33. Lane closure on divided highway
TA-34. Lane closure with barrier
TA-35. Mobile operation on multilane road
TA-36. Lane shift on freeway
TA-37. Double lane closure on freeway
TA-38. Interior lane closure on freeway
TA-39. Median crossover on freeway
TA-40. Median crossover for entrance ramp
TA-41. Median crossover for exit ramp
TA-42. Work in vicinity of exit ramp
TA-43. Partial exit ramp closure
TA-44. Work in vicinity of entrance ramp
*SI is the symbol for the International System of Units.

 

 
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