What does the yellow traffic sign with two black arrows pointing up and one pointing down mean?

The United States traffic signs have shapes and colors that warn drivers about road conditions. Some include arrows that, at first glance, may seem confusing, but they represent important information for those traveling on those roads.

One of them is the yellow sign, with two black arrows pointing up and one pointing down, called W6-5a, which is part of the official signage that warns about three-lane roads with traffic in both directions.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) explains in its manual of traffic control devices when these signs may be used and what road configuration they represent, since knowing their meaning can help better interpret lane distribution while driving.

What does the yellow traffic sign with two black arrows pointing up and one pointing down mean?

The yellow sign with two black arrows pointing up and one pointing down indicates a three-lane road with traffic moving in both directions. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) includes this type of signage in section 2C.52 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), the document that sets criteria for the country’s traffic signs.

According to the manual, signs W6-5 and W6-5a may be installed on three-lane roads where two lanes are designated for travel in one direction and the remaining lane for traffic in the opposite direction.

What is the difference between signs W6-5 and W6-5a?

The difference between these two traffic signs lies in the arrangement of the arrows, which shows how traffic is distributed on a three-lane road. In this regard, the FHWA includes both in Section 2C.52 of the MUTCD.

• W6-5 represents a two-lane arrangement in one direction and one in the opposite direction.
• W6-5a also warns of a three-lane road with traffic in both directions, but uses a different arrow arrangement to represent the road configuration.

What other yellow signs warn about changes on the road?

Among the warning signs considered by the FHWA is W6-3, which uses black arrows to indicate traffic in both directions. According to the MUTCD, this sign is recommended to warn of the transition from a divided multi-lane road to another with two lanes and traffic in both directions.

Another sign is W6-2, which warns of the end of a physically divided section of road and that there will be traffic in both directions ahead. According to the official manual, its function is to alert drivers before the separation between traffic flows ends.