Question 1

Cone color and impact-safe material

Accepted Answer

Cones shall be predominantly orange and shall be made of a material that can be struck without causing damage to the impacting vehicle.

Question 2

Minimum cone height for daytime/low-speed use

Accepted Answer

For daytime and low-speed roadways, cones shall be not less than 18 inches in height.

Question 3

Minimum cone height for freeways/high-speed/nighttime use

Accepted Answer

When cones are used on freeways and other high-speed highways or at night on all highways, or when more conspicuous guidance is needed, cones shall be a minimum of 28 inches in height.

Question 4

Nighttime cone retroreflectorization required

Accepted Answer

For nighttime use, cones shall be retroreflectorized or equipped with lighting devices for maximum visibility.

Question 5

Retroreflective banding for 28-36 inch cones

Accepted Answer

Retroreflectorization of cones 28 to 36 inches in height shall be provided by a 6-inch wide white band located 3 to 4 inches from the top of the cone and an additional 4-inch wide white band located approximately 2 inches below the 6-inch band.

Question 6

Retroreflective striping for cones over 36 inches

Accepted Answer

Cones more than 36 inches in height shall use horizontal, circumferential, alternating orange and white retroreflective stripes 4 to 6 inches wide; each cone shall have a minimum of two orange and two white stripes with the top stripe orange, and non-retroreflective spaces between stripes shall not exceed 3 inches in width.

Question 7

Permitted uses of traffic cones

Accepted Answer

Traffic cones may be used to channelize road users, divide opposing vehicular traffic lanes, divide lanes when two or more lanes are kept open in the same direction, and delineate short-duration maintenance and utility work.

Question 8

Prevent cones from being displaced by wind or traffic

Accepted Answer

Steps should be taken to minimize the possibility of cones being blown over or displaced by wind or moving vehicular traffic.

Question 9

Minimum ballast on cones

Accepted Answer

Ballast should be kept to the minimum amount needed. Cones may be doubled up to increase their weight.

Question 10

Channelizing devices must be crashworthy

Accepted Answer

Designs of various channelizing devices shall be as shown in Figure 6K-1. All channelizing devices shall be crashworthy.

Question 11

Channelizing device spacing for taper and tangent

Accepted Answer

Spacing between cones, tubular markers, vertical panels, drums, and barricades should not exceed a distance in feet equal to 1 times the speed limit in mph for taper channelization, and should not exceed a distance in feet equal to 2 times the speed limit in mph for tangent channelization.

Question 12

Extension of channelizing devices beyond transition area

Accepted Answer

When channelizing devices have the potential of leading vehicular traffic out of the intended vehicular traffic space, the channelizing devices should be extended a distance in feet of 2 times the speed limit in mph beyond the downstream end of the transition area.

Question 13

Retroreflective material color consistency

Accepted Answer

The retroreflective material used on channelizing devices shall display a similar color day or night.

Question 14

Owner/manufacturer identification restriction on devices

Accepted Answer

Information identifying the owner or manufacturer shall not be displayed on any portion of the device that can be seen by road users approaching the device; any permitted name and telephone number area shall be non-retroreflective and not over 2 inches in height.

Question 15

Replacement of unserviceable channelizing devices

Accepted Answer

Channelizing devices that are no longer serviceable shall be replaced.

Question 16

Taper length criteria by taper type

Accepted Answer

Minimum taper lengths: Merging Taper at least L; Shifting Taper at least 0.5 L; Shoulder Taper at least 0.33 L; One-Lane, Two-Way Traffic Taper 50 feet minimum, 100 feet maximum; Downstream Taper 50 feet minimum, 100 feet maximum.

Question 17

Taper length formula (Texas Table 6B-4A)

Accepted Answer

For posted speed 40 mph or less, L = (W x S^2) / 60; for posted speed 45 mph or more, L = W x S. Where L = length of taper in feet, W = width of offset in feet, S = posted speed in mph.

Question 18

Merging taper lengths and device spacing by speed (Table 6B-4A)

Accepted Answer

Representative merging taper lengths (12 ft offset) and device spacing: 30 mph 180 ft/taper 30 ft/tangent 60 ft; 40 mph 320 ft/40 ft/80 ft; 45 mph 540 ft/45 ft/90 ft; 55 mph 660 ft/55 ft/110 ft; 65 mph 780 ft/65 ft/130 ft; 70 mph 840 ft/70 ft/140 ft; 75 mph 900 ft/75 ft/150 ft.

Question 19

Downstream taper length and device spacing

Accepted Answer

If used, a downstream taper should have a minimum length of 50 feet and a maximum length of 100 feet with devices placed at a spacing of approximately 20 feet.

Question 20

One-lane, two-way traffic taper length and device spacing

Accepted Answer

A taper having a minimum length of 50 feet and a maximum length of 100 feet with channelizing devices at approximately 20-foot spacing should be used to guide traffic into the one-lane section.

Question 21

Merging taper tangent separation

Accepted Answer

Multiple merging tapers should have a tangent length of at least 2 L between them. Adjoining merging and shifting tapers should have a tangent length of at least 1/2 L between them.

Question 22

High-visibility safety apparel for workers in TTC zone

Accepted Answer

For daytime and nighttime activity, all workers within the right-of-way inside the TTC zone shall wear high-visibility safety apparel meeting Performance Class 2 or 3 requirements of ANSI/ISEA 107-2015, or equivalent revisions.

Question 23

High-visibility apparel color requirements

Accepted Answer

The apparel background (outer) material color shall be fluorescent orange-red, fluorescent yellow-green, or a combination of the two; retroreflective material shall be orange, yellow, white, silver, yellow-green, or a fluorescent version of these colors.

Question 24

High-visibility apparel for law enforcement handling lane closures

Accepted Answer

When uniformed law enforcement personnel are used to direct traffic, investigate crashes, or handle lane closures, obstructed roadways, and disasters, high-visibility safety apparel as described in this Section shall be worn by the law enforcement personnel.

Question 25

Advance warning sign spacing (Texas Table 6B-1A)

Accepted Answer

Suggested advance warning sign spacing 'X' on conventional highways by posted speed: 25 mph=100 ft; 30=120; 35=160; 40=240; 45=320; 50=400; 55=500; 60=600; 65=700; 70=800; 75=900; 80=1000; 85=1100 ft. Expressway/Freeway per Chapter 6P typical applications.

Question 26

Longitudinal buffer space length (Texas Table 6B-2A)

Accepted Answer

Longitudinal buffer space length by posted speed: 20 mph=40 ft; 25=60; 30=90; 35=120; 40=155; 45=195; 50=240; 55=295; 60=350; 65=410; 70=475; 75=540; 80=615; 85=695 ft.

Question 27

Redirection of road users requires channelizing devices in transition area

Accepted Answer

Except for mobile operations, when redirection of the road users' normal path is required, road users shall be directed from the normal path to a new path with appropriate channelizing devices, traffic control devices, and/or TTC methods.

Question 28

Advance warning required when work space is within traveled way

Accepted Answer

When the work space is within the traveled way, except for short-duration and mobile operations, advance warning shall provide a general message that work is taking place and shall supply information about highway conditions; TTC devices shall indicate how vehicular traffic can move through the TTC zone.

Close a lane (work zone) in Texas