• 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
    • Flagger
    • Online Courses
    • Toolboxes
    • FHWA Safety Grant Products
    • Certification and
      Accreditation
  • Work Zone Devices
  • Laws, Standards & Policies
  • Public Awareness
  • Events
  • About
  • Contact
  • Search
Practice

Changing light bulbs on overhead signs

Texas DOT does not have a hard policy requiring lane closures for replacing lamps on overhead signs. However, the types of facilities (high-speeds, often high-volume) where these signs are located make it difficult to do this work without closing lanes. Adequate space has to be made for bucket trucks or man-lifts and our crews are encouraged not to work over open lanes. Some of the state’s sign bridges have catwalks, but there is still the chance of falling or dropping tools or equipment if working over a live lane.
At least partially for these reasons, TxDOT’s current direction is moving away from lighting overhead signs. Since 2003, their standards have required Type VIII or Type IX prismatic retroreflective sheeting for new installations of overhead guide signs rather than external lighting. Their latest sign lighting standards are from 1995 and are not anticipated to be updated.

State/Agency: Texas
Topics: Lane Closure; Maintenance Practices

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