Drivers in TxDOT’s nine-county Brownwood District may have noticed a different type of traffic signal in construction and maintenance zones throughout the area.

The district has been expanding the use of portable traffic signals and automated flagger assistance devices in recent years. Brownwood was the first TxDOT district to begin using these devices in 2008 and has steadily increased their use throughout the district, which includes Brown, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Lampasas, McCulloch, Mills, San Saba and Stephens counties.

Portable traffic signals are trailer mounted devices with three LED signal heads (red, yellow and green). The solar powered units have many advantages for construction and maintenance operations.

The biggest benefit is worker safety, said Carl Johnson, Brownwood District operations director. The portable signals operate with a detector, which means the signal will remain red until an approaching vehicle is detected, then turn green to allow the motorist to proceed through the work zone without a flagger on the road. The signals can also be operated manually by remote control if the work zone involves highly variable traffic patterns requiring the use of a pilot car.

Automated flagger assistance devices are smaller units operated by remote control and are typically used for short-term lane closures on two-lane highways. When traffic must be stopped, the unit drops a flag across the lane until the operator lifts it when it is safe for traffic to proceed. Although a crew member must manually operate the device by remote, this task can be performed off the roadway where it is much safer for the employee.

Drivers can see the portable signals much sooner than they would a flagger and can navigate work zones more easily with the advance warning. Although these devices may be unfamiliar to some drivers, they are easy to understand, Johnson said. Drivers should stop when the signal is red or a flag is activated, proceed with caution on green, and prepare to stop when a signal turns yellow.

Pictured above:  Portable traffic signals are equipped with a detector that keeps traffic moving safely through the work zone in place of a flagger. (TxDOT photo)