Detour right

What it means

This sign routes traffic off the closed road and along a designated alternative, pointing to the direction of the detour. Detours exist where the road ahead is physically impassable: a full closure for construction, a washout, a crash investigation or a structure repair. The detour route is usually a lower-class road never intended for the volume now routed onto it, which is why following it calmly matters more than following it quickly. Signs repeat along the route so you can navigate it without local knowledge.

How it gets misread

Drivers sometimes read the sign as optional, assuming the closed road reopens just beyond the closure point. Another misread is abandoning the marked detour partway because a navigation app suggests a shortcut that the closure makes impossible.

What to do

Follow the detour signs in the direction shown, accepting that the route may be slower, narrower and busier than the road it replaces. Stay on the marked route until a sign returns you to your original road, rather than improvising through neighbourhoods. Reduce speed for the changed character of the streets and watch for pedestrians unused to the diverted traffic.

More work zone signs

• Road closed ahead →
• Flagger ahead →

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