Merge signs

Warning signs: unless the MUTCD says otherwise, warning signs are diamond-shaped with a black legend and border on a yellow background. The MUTCD size table lists the Merge (W4-1) sign at 36 by 36 inches on conventional roads and 48 by 48 inches on expressways and freeways.

Merge (W4-1): may be used to warn drivers on the major roadway that merging movements might be encountered ahead of a point where lanes from two separate roadways converge as a single traffic lane and no turning conflict occurs. A Merge sign may also be installed on the entering roadway to warn its drivers of the merge.

Reading the symbol: on the major roadway, the symbol should point right or left to show the side the merge comes from, with the arrow representing the major roadway and the curved stem representing the entering roadway. The sign should be placed on the side of the major roadway where merging traffic will be encountered, where it does not block the view of entering traffic.

Entering Roadway Merge (W4-5): should be used on an entering roadway that curves before it merges, such as a curving ramp, to better show the actual layout.

Equal roads: where two roadways of about equal importance converge and merging is required, a Merge sign should be placed on each roadway. It should not be used where two roadways converge and merging is not required.

NO MERGE AREA (W4-5aP): a plaque that may be mounted below a merge sign to warn of an abrupt merge with no acceleration lane at the downstream end of the ramp.

From the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th Edition with Revision 1, Sections 2C.02, 2C.03 (Table 2C-1) and 2C.45, read November 4, 2026.

Added Lane signs

Added Lane (W4-3): should be installed in advance of a point where two roadways converge and merging movements are not required. When possible, it should be visible from both roadways; otherwise one should be placed beside each roadway.

Reading the symbol: the straight arrow represents the major roadway and the curved arrow represents the entering roadway, pointed to the side the entering roadway joins from.

Entering Roadway Added Lane (W4-6): should be used on a roadway that curves before it joins another roadway that is straight at that point.

From the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th Edition with Revision 1, Section 2C.46, read November 4, 2026.

Lane Ends signs

Lane Ends (W4-2) and RIGHT (LEFT) LANE ENDS (W9-1): these signs warn of a reduction in the number of traffic lanes in the direction of travel. The W4-2 sign should be installed at the advance placement distance set in the MUTCD.

Extra warning: a W9-1 sign may be installed before the Lane Ends sign to give additional warning that a lane is ending and that a merge will be required. If it is used, a distance plaque should be installed below it.

Left lane ending: on one-way streets or divided highways where the left lane is ending and the median is wide enough, the W9-1 and W4-2 signs should be placed on the left side or in the median, facing approaching traffic.

Not for acceleration lanes or dropped lanes: Lane Ends signs should not be installed in advance of the downstream end of an acceleration lane. The W4-2 and W9-1 signs shall not be used in dropped-lane situations; where a through lane becomes a mandatory turn lane at an intersection on a conventional road, regulatory signs are used instead.

From the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th Edition with Revision 1, Section 2C.47, read November 4, 2026.

Other merging signs

These signs cover other ways that lanes come together:

From the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th Edition with Revision 1, Sections 2C.48, 2C.49, 2C.50 and 6H.08, read November 4, 2026.

How a lane reduction is marked

What counts: the MUTCD defines a lane reduction as a place, not at an interchange or intersection, where the number of through lanes drops because the roadway narrows or because on-street parking takes over what would otherwise be a through lane.

Required markings: a lane-reduction transition shall include a no-passing zone in the direction of the convergence and through the transition (except where that does not apply, such as one-way streets, expressways and freeways) and an edge line in the direction of the convergence, with limited exceptions on low-speed curbed streets.

Other markings: the MUTCD says lane-reduction transitions should also include delineators along the lane being reduced, lane-reduction arrow markings on roads with a speed limit of 45 mph or more, and an end to the broken white lane line ahead of the point where the taper begins.

Taper length: the minimum lane-reduction taper should be 100 feet in urban areas and 200 feet in rural areas, with longer tapers where observed speeds exceed the speed limit.

From the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), 11th Edition with Revision 1, Section 3B.12, read November 4, 2026.

Keep your mirrors, tires and brakes ready

The Works® at Ford of Peoria includes a synthetic blend oil change, tire rotation and pressure check, brake inspection, Multi-Point Inspection, fluid top-off, battery test, and a filter, belts and hoses check.

Schedule service online and see our service specials first. Ford of Peoria is at 2211 W. Pioneer Pkwy. in Peoria. Get directions.

Ford of Peoria service hours

From Ford of Peoria's website, November 4, 2026. Holiday hours can differ.