Flashing chevrons make Northern Va. debut on I-95 at Occoquan

The guardrail on the exit ramp from Interstate 95 to Route 123 in Woodbridge has been beaten up over the years.

It’s been so bad, the Virginia Department of Transportation needed to a new solution that would light up the guardrail so drivers would see it and not hit it. The answer: flashing yellow chevron signs noting the sharp curve of the exit ramp taking drivers from I-95 north to Route 123 toward Occoquan.

“Tracking crashes on-ramps is difficult because that data is generally not kept. What was used as a determining factor here were the number of maintenance requests due to guardrail strikes,” said Virginia transportation department spokeswoman Ellen Kalmilakis. “These ramps, the one at Route 123 in particular, saw a much higher rate of maintenance requests than other ramps in the district.”

More in a press release:

Flashing chevrons aimed at improving safety have been installed along I-95 ramps in Woodbridge and Springfield, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Several flashing chevrons were added along the ramp from northbound I-95 to northbound Route 123 (Exit 160B) as an innovative way to help guide drivers along the curve, particularly at night. The improvements cost about $32,000.

Watch a demonstration video of the flashing chevrons along the I-95 to Route 123 ramp here.

Flashing chevrons were also installed along the ramp from southbound I-95 to eastbound Route 644 (Exit 169A). The improvements cost about $25,000.

These are the first flashing chevrons in Northern Virginia.

The flashing chevron signs are posted along other portions of highways in the state, to include I-81 at Buchanan, Va.