Article by Shelley Hanson
For The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
Posted September 25, 2008
Traveling at 65 mph or more on an unfamiliar highway can lead to a motorist making a last-second decision.
Just when they thought they were heading in the right direction, an interstate sign tells them different. And before they have time to react, the exit they were supposed to take, or avoid, is yards behind them.
While traveling on Interstate 70 through Wheeling, the scene of a confused motorist has become a familiar one near the Wheeling Tunnel - where the posted speed limit is 45 mph. Not realizing I-70 will merge into one lane, the unfamiliar driver continues to travel in the wrong lane.
While traveling east, sometimes they take the downtown exit. Sometimes they stop in a neutral area and try to merge from a standstill position. And others merge and expect everyone else to get out of the way.
These split-second decisions often lead to accidents and near-misses - both of which West Virginia Division of Highways officials hope to eliminate with new signage installed last week.
Motorists traveling I-70 may have noticed large blue and red ''70'' logos on the road surface - and that's just what highways officials are hoping for. Made of a thermoplastic, the logos were melted onto the through lanes of I-70 on the east and west sides of Wheeling Tunnel.
Kirt Donley, state DOH District 6 traffic engineer technician, said the logos were installed last week and are the first in the state of West Virginia. Although there are regular signs telling motorists which lane to use to continue on I-70, traffic accidents still occur due to motorists attempting to merge into the through lane at the last second.
The logos were sanctioned by DOH officials in Charleston who hope the surface signs will alert motorists to merge sooner into the through lane. There are six in total - three on the east and three on the west. One of the surface signs is located in Ohio near the Bridgeport interchange.
''The goal is to get everybody into the left lane,'' Donley said.
The logos were manufactured by Flint Trading of North Carolina. Flint Trading calls the signs ''PreMark Interstate Shields.''
''They're made so you can see them from a far distance,'' Donley said.
The logos are 36 feet long and 8 feet wide. Their non-skid surface is reflective so as to be seen better at night. And because they're made of a plastic, the signs are expected to last longer than paint. Donley compared them to white stop strips at intersections.
Wheeling is being used as a testing ground for the surface signs. If the signs work, they may be used throughout West Virginia, Donley said, noting other states already use such signage.
To measure success, counter strips may be installed across both lanes to determine if more people are merging in a timely manner.
And when the logos begin to wear, they are expected to be replaced.
Since the plastic is imbedded into the road surface, the logos are not expected to be affected by snowplow blades.