Road work ahead sign
An orange diamond reading ROAD WORK AHEAD. It warns of construction or maintenance work on the road ahead.
How to read it
The MUTCD uses it as a general warning of obstructions or restrictions, placed ahead of the work space on the road where the work is. Work zone warning signs are diamond-shaped with black lettering on orange, where ordinary warning signs are yellow.
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.
State rules in work zones
Some states attach their own rules to work zones. Pennsylvania's manual says headlights have to be on in all posted work zones, active or not, and that a driver pulled over in a work zone without them faces an additional $25 fine.
Read next
- Next in Road signsFlagger ahead signAn orange diamond with a worker holding a flag. It warns that a flagger is controlling traffic ahead.
- The same shape in Diamond gradingBlue white (diamond term)An old trade term for a diamond’s color, now limited by the FTC to stones that show no color other than blue or bluish.
More road signs
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with diamonds or letters and numbers.
Sources
- MUTCD 2009 Edition, Chapter 6F: Temporary Traffic Control Zone Devices, MUTCD 2009, Part 6, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Sections 6F.16, 6F.18
- Pennsylvania Driver's Manual, Chapter 2: Signals, Signs and Pavement Markings, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, p. 18
- What Every Driver Must Know, Michigan driver manual, Michigan Department of State, Chapter 5, sign 44
- The Evolution of MUTCD, Updated December 2023; after H. Gene Hawkins, Jr., ITE Journal, 1991–1994, U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Part II, 1971 Fifth Edition
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 25, 2026. How we research
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