Flagger, Temporary Yellow Line, and Pilot Car in a Tulsa Resurfacing Zone
On a weekday at 2:15 p.m., you approach a resurfacing project on a four-lane urban arterial in Tulsa. The right lane is closed by orange drums and a large orange sign reading RIGHT LANE CLOSED AHEAD. A flagger in an orange vest is holding a STOP paddle toward your direction. A pilot car is waiting on the opposite side. You see the old white lane line still visible and a new temporary yellow line to your left. A business driveway is open just before the flagger. The driver behind you honks and pulls partly onto the shoulder. The signal at the previous intersection is green. You need to decide where to stop, whether to enter the driveway, and how to follow the pilot car through the work area.
1. What must you do in response to the STOP paddle, and how should you handle the honking driver and the open driveway?
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The STOP paddle controls your direction. Stop before the flagger or at the marked stop point, whichever is closer, and stay behind it until the flagger turns the paddle to SLOW or gives a clear release. Do not creep forward because the driver behind honks or uses the shoulder; that driver is bypassing the traffic control and does not change your obligation. Keep the business driveway clear if you can do so without entering the work area or blocking the flagger's view. Do not stop in the driveway entrance if it would block access; stop short of it if the flagger's stop point allows. The pilot car waiting on the opposite side is not your signal to go; it is waiting for its own release.
2. The old white lane line is still visible, but a new temporary yellow line is to your left. Which marking governs, and why?
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In a temporary traffic control zone, the temporary markings and devices govern over the old white line. The new temporary yellow line to your left is separating opposing traffic or marking the shifted lane, so do not cross it to use the old lane. The old white line may still be visible, but it is obsolete where the temporary alignment conflicts with it. Follow the orange drums, the flagger, and the pilot car. If the temporary yellow line and the old white line disagree, trust the temporary marking and the direction of the flagger. Treat the work area as a changed roadway, not as the same arterial with a lane merely blocked.
3. How should you follow the pilot car, and when may you resume normal speed?
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Follow the pilot car at a safe distance, in the lane it indicates, and do not pass it. The pilot car leads traffic through the work area because the normal lane is unavailable or the alignment is shifted. Keep enough gap to stop if the pilot car brakes for equipment or workers, and do not stop alongside workers or equipment. If the pilot car stops, stop behind it and wait. When you exit the work area, do not accelerate until you are past the last channelizing device and any END ROAD WORK sign. The honking driver behind you is not a reason to tailgate the pilot car or pass it.