Divided Highway Sign: A Median Separates Traffic Ahead
The divided highway sign is a yellow diamond showing a road that splits around a central island. It warns that a median or barrier will separate the two directions of traffic ahead. Keep to the right of the median, use only the roadway for your direction and make left turns or U-turns only at marked median openings.
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Divided highway quiz: 3 test-style questions
- A yellow diamond sign shows a road splitting around a center island. What does it mean? The road ahead divides into two roadways separated by a median; keep right / The road ends ahead / Two roads merge ahead / A traffic circle is ahead. Answer: The road ahead divides into two roadways separated by a median; keep right. The divided highway sign warns that a median will separate the two directions. Stay to the right of it.
- You are crossing a divided highway with a wide median at an intersection with no signal. You should: Cross both roadways in one move without stopping / Treat each roadway as a separate street, and stop in the median only if it is wide enough for your vehicle / Turn left onto the first roadway / Wait in the median even if your car blocks traffic. Answer: Treat each roadway as a separate street, and stop in the median only if it is wide enough for your vehicle. Each roadway of a divided highway is crossed separately. If the median is wide enough, you may wait there for a gap in the second roadway.
- On a divided highway, you may make a U-turn: Anywhere you can drive across the median / Only at median openings where it is not prohibited / Never / Only at night. Answer: Only at median openings where it is not prohibited. Never drive across a grass median. Use paved crossovers or intersections where U-turns are not prohibited; many crossovers are reserved for emergency vehicles.
What the divided highway sign means
The Divided Highway sign (MUTCD W6-1) is a yellow diamond showing a road that separates around a central island, like a lens or median. It warns that ahead, the road becomes a divided highway: the two directions of traffic are separated by a median, a curb, a concrete barrier or a strip of grass. Its opposite, the Divided Highway Ends sign (W6-2), shows the two roadways coming back together and warns that two-way traffic without a median is ahead.
At the start of the median you will usually see a keep right sign. Where a side street crosses a divided highway, the sign DIVIDED HIGHWAY on the side street tells drivers that they are about to cross two separate roadways.
What to do
- Stay to the right of the median; never drive on the left side of it.
- Expect higher speeds and more lanes; keep right except to pass.
- Turn left or make a U-turn only at median openings where it is allowed. Do not cross unpaved medians.
- When crossing a divided highway from a side road, treat each roadway as a separate street and stop in the median only if it is wide enough to hold your whole vehicle.
- When turning onto a divided highway, make sure you enter the roadway for your direction: turn left into the far roadway, not the near one.
Common mistakes and test traps
The biggest danger is wrong-way driving. It most often happens when a driver turns left onto the near roadway of a divided highway or enters through an exit ramp. If you see DO NOT ENTER or WRONG WAY signs, or reflectors glowing red in front of you, you are going the wrong way: pull over safely and turn around. The permit test also asks where you may turn around; the right answer is never across a grass median.
Where you see it
You will see it where a two-lane road widens into a four-lane highway, before a boulevard with a landscaped median, at the start of freeways and expressways, and on side streets approaching an intersection with a divided road.
Related signs
Pair it with the two-way traffic sign, the keep right sign, the wrong way sign and the merge sign. For freeway driving, see the Interstate route sign.
Divided highway sign FAQ
What does the divided highway sign mean?
It warns that ahead, a median or barrier will separate the two directions of traffic. Keep to the right of the median.
What does the divided highway ends sign mean?
It warns that the median ends and the road becomes two-way without separation. Keep right and expect oncoming traffic close to you.
How do I cross a divided highway?
Treat each roadway as a separate street. Cross the first roadway, and stop in the median only if it is wide enough for your whole vehicle, then cross the second when it is clear.
What should I do if I realize I am driving the wrong way?
Slow down, turn on your hazard lights, pull to the nearest shoulder or edge and stop, then turn around only when it is safe. Call 911 if you cannot get out of danger.
Official sources
Keep studying
- Two-way traffic sign
- Keep right sign
- Wrong way sign
- Do not enter sign
- All U.S. road signs
- Practice tests by topic