10.1 Work Zones: Signs, Flaggers, Channelizing Devices & Penalties

Any Massachusetts road may be under construction or maintenance at any time. Work zones are marked by warning signs and traffic control devices that guide drivers past hazards and protect the people working there. The Manual's rule of thumb is simple: "When approaching a work zone, the FIRST thing you must do is SLOW DOWN and look for guidance on how to safely travel through the area."

Core Work Zone Rules

Signs You Will See

• Start of the work zone. A warning sign or electronic message board, usually stating that roadwork or utility work begins a set distance ahead.
• Flagger Ahead. Placed about 500 feet before a flagger.
• Lane-closure and lane-shift signs. These show which lane is closed, that the right lane is closed and traffic should move left, or that lanes shift to the right. Read and follow them.
• Orange signs. Orange means construction or maintenance warning (section 9.3). The Manual adds that orange signs and work equipment usually mean people are on foot nearby.

Civil flaggers

Civil flaggers are typically used on low-speed, low-volume roads. They control traffic around the work area and help road users get through it. A flagger's direction is binding, just like a police officer's.

Channelizing Devices

Drums, cones and tubular markers are usually set at an angle to shift traffic from the start of a lane to the left or right. Carefully merge into the next lane when you see them.

Arrow boards

On multilane roads, portable arrow boards sit inside the closed lane, before the work area. They show that a shoulder or lane is closed and which lane is open, and they give you time to merge when it is safe:

• a right-lane closure tells you to merge left;
• a middle-lane closure tells you to merge right or left.

Detours

When work closes the road in one direction, or entirely, detour signs are posted. A sign at the start of the detour and signs along it guide you around the work zone and back onto your original road.

Road Workers and Repair Crews

The Manual's sharing-the-road section adds a human element. In 2023, 898 people were killed nationally in work zone crashes. Even when a site is well marked, you must take extra care for anyone working on the roadway:

• follow road work signs carefully and stay alert;
• watch for sudden changes in road direction or condition;
• be prepared to stop;
• remember that a speeding citation in a work area carries a doubled fine.

The Move-Over law also covers highway maintenance vehicles and recovery vehicles with flashing lights (section 12.1). Roadside workers are listed vulnerable road users under the four-foot passing law (section 6.1).

Information Sources

MassDOT's 511 service gives up-to-date traffic, weather and construction information 24/7 and takes reports of road problems. Dial 511 from a cell phone, or the regional landline numbers in section 4.1. More information is at Mass.Gov/Traffic-Information.

Applying the Rules: Decision Sequence

1. See the first warning sign: slow down, check the mirrors, increase following distance.
2. Identify the closed lane from signs, arrow boards and angled devices.
3. Signal and merge early, smoothly and in turn. Don't race to the taper.
4. Watch for the flagger about 500 feet after the Flagger Ahead sign, and obey the paddle or hand signals.
5. Keep eyes on the path, not on the equipment.
6. Resume normal speed only when the work area is behind you and the lanes are restored.

Practicing Work Zones With Students

• Schedule lessons on routes with active work zones when you can, so students experience lane shifts and narrowed lanes with an instructor beside them.
• Ask students to say each device's message aloud ("cones angled left, so the right lane is ending") to practice reading the channelization.
• Connect work zones to space management: workers on foot need a wide margin, so choose the lane farthest from the work when you can do so safely.