'Certainly got my attention,' say drivers baffled by new color lines on highway – there's a $987m reason behind them | 6503BIK | 2024-05-02 12:08:01
NEW, multi-colored traffic signals painted on highways have confused drivers – but state officials said the change has made roadways safer.
California launched a new road law program that is set to protect drivers after making a $987 million investment.
Highway officials in Southern California have painted new multi-colored lane dividers close to construction zones.
Orange and white striped lines deliniate the highway lanes.
California's transit authority, Caltrans, launched the program on the 5 Freeway in the northern section of San Diego County.
Tourists in the area said they were slightly confused about the new pattern.
"I was curious and didn't know what to make of them," Josh Rose, a Utah resident, told local Fox affiliate KTLA.
"They certainly got my attention."
Some local drivers also said they were confused.
"I'm not sure what they are [or] where they came from," Kacey Crews, a local driver, also told the station.
Caltrans said the new painted warnings have positively impacted driver safety in the construction zones.
"Recent survey data shows that approximately 83.18% of road users who traveled in the orange striping experienced increased awareness of being in a construction zone," Steve Welborn, the Public Affairs Manager for the agency, told KTLA.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> Another 72% of drivers slowed when they spotted the alternatively painted roadway.
Almost three-quarters of polled drivers said they found the lanes easier to see at night.
California has invested $987 million in highway projects in the area.
Redeveloped highways are set to have High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes, or HOVs, in both directions of Highway 78.
State officials told the television station they may continue to deploy the painting technique in other construction zones.
<!--googleoff: all--> <blockquote class="article__quote"> </blockquote> <!--googleon: all--> CONSTRUCTION TURN
Several other states have implemented new driver safety rules in construction areas.
Virginia State Police are rolling out new speed camera tests throughout construction zones on Interstate 81, according to local NBC affiliate WSLS-TV.
The agency said several test machines will be mounted above the highway by fall 2024.
Drivers caught going 10 mph or more over the speed limit are subject to $100 fines.
Construction crashes happen once every 4 billion vehicle-miles of travel, according to the National Department of Transportation.
Nationwide highway rebuilds are increasingly likely after the federal government invested hundreds of billions of dollars for states looking to rebuild sections of their highways.
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