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Practice

Opposing traffic lane divider

Mississippi DOT tested the opposing traffic lane divider in July 1992 on Interstate 20 west of Jackson. Road work along an 11 km (7 mi) segment of I-20 eastbound required the highway agency to divert eastbound traffic to one of the two westbound lanes.
Plastic delineator tubes placed 30 m (100 ft) apart were used to indicate the centerline on the first and last 4 km (2.5 mi) of the two-way section. Opposing traffic lane dividers were used in the middle 3 km (2 mi) and were installed 60 m (200 ft) apart.

Assessment:

The safety benefit was immediately obvious. As drivers passed the opposing lane traffic dividers, they tended to stay further from the centerline than they did when passing the delineator tubes, thus reducing the chance of a head-on collision.
When

State/Agency: Mississippi
Where Documented: Case study titled "New Device Helps Motorists Keep Safely to the Right"
Topics: Opposing Traffic Lane Dividers

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