Cross road sign
A yellow diamond with a plus sign. It warns of an intersection ahead where another road crosses.
How to read it
It is one of the MUTCD's intersection warning signs, used ahead of an intersection to show that it is there and that traffic may turn or enter. The shape of the symbol shows how the roads meet: here, a road crossing the one you are on.
Rules vary by state and country. This explains the sign's standard meaning in the U.S. Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices; it isn't legal advice.
Reading the symbol
The MUTCD says the symbol should show the general layout of the intersection, as the Side Road and T-Intersection signs do for theirs. Where the side roads don't meet opposite each other, an Offset Side Roads sign (W2-7) is used instead. A side road carrying much less traffic may be drawn with a line two-thirds the width of the through road.
Where you'll see it
On the road that doesn't stop: the MUTCD says intersection warning signs like this one should not be used on approaches controlled by STOP signs, YIELD signs or signals.
In other countries
Britain's crossroads warning is a red triangle. The Department for Transport's guide says the broader line shows which road has priority through the junction.
Read next
- Next in Road signsSide road signA yellow diamond with a straight line and a shorter one joining from one side. It warns of a side road entering ahead, from the side shown.
- The same shape in BPMN symbolsExclusive gatewayA point where the process takes exactly one of several paths. The exclusive gateway is a diamond, often with an X inside.
More road signs
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with crosses or diamonds.
Sources
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 2C: Warning Signs and Object Markers, MUTCD 2009, Part 2, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 2C.46
- Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, Chapter 2: Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, pp. 14–15
- Official Florida Driver License Handbook, rev. 08/2023, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, p. 50
- What Every Driver Must Know, Michigan driver manual, Michigan Department of State, Chapter 5, sign 41
- Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways, 11th edition, MUTCD, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Section 2C.41, paras 06–08, 11 (printed p. 180)
- Know Your Traffic Signs, Sixth edition, 2023, UK Department for Transport, pp. 9, 10
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 3, 2026. How we research
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