Two-Way Traffic Sign: Oncoming Traffic Ahead
The two-way traffic sign is a yellow diamond with two arrows pointing in opposite directions. It warns that you are leaving a one-way road or a divided highway and that the road ahead carries traffic in both directions, with no median between you and oncoming vehicles. Keep to the right, watch the center line and pass only where it is legal and safe.
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Two-way traffic quiz: 3 test-style questions
- A yellow diamond sign shows two vertical arrows pointing in opposite directions. It means: The road ahead becomes one-way / Traffic ahead travels in both directions on the same roadway / You may use either lane in either direction / A divided highway begins. Answer: Traffic ahead travels in both directions on the same roadway. The two-way traffic sign warns that oncoming traffic will share the roadway with you. Stay in the right lane.
- On a two-lane, two-way road, you may pass on the left when: There is a solid yellow line on your side / You are on a hill or curve / There is a broken yellow line on your side and the way ahead is clear / The vehicle ahead is going the speed limit. Answer: There is a broken yellow line on your side and the way ahead is clear. A broken yellow line on your side allows passing when it is safe. A solid yellow line on your side means no passing.
- Where are you most likely to see a two-way traffic sign? Where a divided highway or one-way street ends and two-way traffic begins / At the entrance to a parking lot / In front of a school / At a railroad crossing. Answer: Where a divided highway or one-way street ends and two-way traffic begins. The sign is used at transitions from one-way operation to two-way operation, and sometimes as a reminder on long two-way sections.
What the two-way traffic sign means
The Two-Way Traffic sign (MUTCD W6-3) is a yellow diamond with two black arrows side by side, one pointing up and one pointing down. It warns that traffic ahead moves in both directions on the same roadway. It is used where a one-way street or a divided highway changes to a two-way road, and sometimes as a reminder along a two-lane road that is temporarily carrying two-way traffic, for example when one side of a divided highway is closed for work.
It often appears with an AHEAD plaque before the transition, then again at the start of the two-way section. Expect a Divided Highway Ends sign or a lane ends sign nearby.
What to do
- Move into the right lane if you were using a left lane of the one-way road.
- Stay right of the yellow center line. Yellow lines always separate traffic going in opposite directions.
- Expect oncoming headlights and dim your high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, as most state laws require.
- Pass only where allowed: a broken yellow line on your side, a clear view ahead, and enough space to return to your lane well before oncoming traffic.
- Watch for left turns by oncoming vehicles and for vehicles entering from driveways.
Test traps
Remember the color code of pavement markings: yellow lines separate opposite directions; white lines separate lanes going the same way. Questions also mix up this sign with the ONE WAY sign, which is a white rectangle with a single black arrow, and with the keep right sign. The two-way traffic sign is a warning, not a lane-use rule: it prepares you for oncoming traffic.
Where you see it
You will see it where a four-lane divided highway narrows to a two-lane road, at the end of a one-way couplet through a town, on bridges or tunnels where one direction is detoured into the other side, and in work zones with two-way traffic on one side of a divided highway. Head-on crashes are among the most severe, so the moment you enter a two-way section, your lane discipline matters.
Related signs
Study it together with the divided highway sign, the do not pass sign, the no passing zone pennant and the wrong way sign. Our pavement markings guide explains center lines.
Two-way traffic sign FAQ
What does the two-way traffic sign mean?
It warns that the road ahead carries traffic in both directions on the same roadway. Keep right and expect oncoming vehicles.
How is it different from a one-way sign?
The ONE WAY sign is a white regulatory sign with one arrow telling you traffic flows only that way. The two-way traffic sign is a yellow warning sign with two opposite arrows.
Can I pass on a two-way road?
Yes, where a broken yellow line is on your side and you can see enough clear road ahead. Never pass across a solid yellow line on your side, on hills, curves, or near intersections and railroad crossings.
When must I dim my high beams?
Most states require dimming within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and within 300 feet when following another vehicle. Check your state handbook.
Official sources
Keep studying
- Divided highway sign
- One way sign
- Do not pass sign
- Traffic lights and pavement markings
- All U.S. road signs
- Practice tests by topic