Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 50, December 14, 2024
Section 212.419 - Special controls in work zones(a)General. Special signing required in 75 Pa.C.S. §§ 3326, 3365, 4309, 6123 and 6123.1 will be in addition to the traffic-control devices required by the MUTCD and shall be installed in accordance with this section.(b)Application. Signing under this section is discretionary in the following work zones:(1) Short duration work, where the operation will be completed in less than 1 hour.(2) Mobile operations, where the work moves intermittently or continuously.(3) Stationary work where the daily duration of the construction, maintenance or utility operation is less than 12 hours and all traffic-control devices are removed from the highway at the completion of the daily operation, including all advance warning signs.(4) Work along highways other than expressways or freeways where the normal speed limit is 45 miles per hour or less.(5) Work in response to emergency work or conditions such as a major storm.(c)Work Zone-Turn on Headlights Sign (R22-1). The Work Zone-Turn on Headlights Sign (R22-1) shall be erected as the first sign on each primary approach to the work zone, generally at a distance of 250 to 1,000 feet prior to the first warning sign. On high-speed roadways including all expressways and freeways, the larger advance distances should be used. If work begins at or near a border to this Commonwealth, the R22-1 signs should be installed within this Commonwealth.(d)Active Work Zone When Flashing Sign (W21-19). The Active Work Zone When Flashing Sign (W21-19) shall be erected as close as practical to the beginning of the active work zone. (1) The sign should not be erected within a transition or at a location where workers are put at risk when they may need to turn the light on and off.(2) When a construction, maintenance or utility project has more than one active work zone and the active work zones are separated by a distance of more than 1 mile, signs for each active work zone shall be erected.(3) The W21-19 signs shall be installed on temporary sign posts or on Type III barricades, and a white Type B high-intensity flashing light must be attached to the upper portion of each W21-19 sign. The light shall be activated only when workers are present, and deactivated when workers are not anticipated during the next 60 minutes.(e)End Active Work Zone Sign (W21-20). The End Active Work Zone Sign (W21-20) shall be erected immediately at the end of each active work zone, except this sign is not necessary if either the End Road Work Sign (G20-2a) or the End Work Area Sign (G20-3) is installed at the end of the active work zone.(f)Work zones on expressways or freeways. When the work zone is on an expressway or freeway, appropriate signs and lights identified in subsections (c), (d) and (e) at on-ramp approaches to the work zone shall be installed.(g)Portable changeable message sign. A portable changeable message sign (PCMS) may be used in lieu of the R22-1, W21-19 or W21-20 signs.(h)Speed display sign. In Interstate highway work zones with a project cost exceeding $300,000, a speed display sign shall be installed on each mainline approach to the work zone to inform motorists of their speed.(1) The speed display sign must display the motorist's speed in miles per hour in numerals at least 18 inches in height.(2) As an alternative, a portable changeable message sign (PCMS) may be equipped with radar and programmed to display vehicles speeds.(3) PCMSs may also flash appropriate messages such as "YOU ARE SPEEDING" or "SLOW DOWN." The signs shall be placed 1/2 to 1 mile in advance of the physical work zone.