• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Logo

Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

Library of Resources to Improve Roadway Work Zone Safety for All Roadway Users

  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
  • X
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Work Zone Data
    • At a Glance
    • National & State Traffic Data
    • Work Zone Traffic Crash Trends and Statistics
    • Worker Fatalities and Injuries at Road Construction Sites
  • Topics of Interest
    • Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety
    • Smart Work Zones
    • Work Zone Safety and MobilityTransportation Management Plans
    • Accommodating Pedestrians
    • Worker Safety and Welfare
    • Project Coordination in Work Zones
  • Training
    • Online Courses
    • FHWA Safety Grant Products
    • Toolboxes
    • Flagger
    • Certification and
      Accreditation
  • Work Zone Devices
  • Laws, Standards & Policies
  • Public Awareness
  • About
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Search
Practice

Warning lights on channelizing devices

South Carolina has discontinued the use of warning lights on drums and has drastically limited their use with Type II barricades. The high-intensity reflective sheeting is much brighter than warning lights. However, SCDOT still requires warning lights on advance warning signs and Type III barricades in areas where they are closing a previously active roadway, e.g., bridge replacement.
On typical widening jobs with drainage structure excavations, SCDOT requires two Type II barricades supplemented with a Type A flashing warning light at each excavation. These are the only instances where warning lights continue to be used. Also, there is the concern regarding NCHRP Report 350 crash approval and ensuring the contractor uses the correct lightweight warning lights.
As reflective sheetings continue to improve, it decreases the need for warning lights.

State/Agency: South Carolina
Topics: Channelizing Devices; Warning Lights

Copyright © 2025 American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse is a project of the ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation. It is operated in cooperation with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Texas A&M Transportation Institute. | Copyright Statement · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer
American Road and Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation, American Road and Transportation Builders Association U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Texas A&M Transportation Institute