Lane ends

What it means

This sign warns that a traffic lane on your road is about to disappear and its users must move into the neighbouring lane, in this case toward the left. It is the warning that precedes the closure; the actual taper is marked by painted lines and often by construction signs as well. The sign gives through-traffic notice so that both streams can arrange themselves over hundreds of metres instead of fighting over a few, because the danger at a lane drop is not the geometry but the timing of two vehicles arriving side by side at the taper.

How it gets misread

The classic misread is leaving the closing lane at the last possible moment and expecting a gap to be created by force. The mirror error is abandoning the closing lane a kilometre early and idling in a queue that could have kept moving.

What to do

If you are in the closing lane, check your mirror and blind spot, signal, and move across at the first clear gap once you are near the taper; use the lane up to near the closure rather than merging at extreme distance. If you are in the continuing lane, ease off to let merging vehicles in. Either way, avoid accelerating to beat a vehicle to the taper.

More warning signs

• Divided highway ends →
• Two-way traffic ahead →

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