What It Means If You See A ‘Turnaround’ Sign In Texas?

Traveling down a Texas freeway, you’re likely to see a turnaround sign somewhere along the way. Don’t worry, you don’t have to change your route or start driving in the opposite direction. Texas turnaround signs are less of a command and more of a suggestion, and these signs are related to the way the state builds its roads. Since the mid-20th century, Texas has used a massive system of continuous one-way frontage roads throughout its interstate and highway networks. Of course, this begs the question: What happens if you miss your exit? The solution is the Texas turnaround.

Rather than forcing drivers to get off and wait at the next traffic signal or navigate a tricky intersection to turn around, Texas uses turnaround lanes as a designated U-turn route. That way, drivers can switch sides of the freeway without any of the typical stops and starts that come with such a maneuver. Hence, turnaround signs. And they aren’t even the strangest road signs in the state.

Texas has thousands of turnarounds, much more than any other region in the United States. That said, you can still find Texas turnaround-style U-turn lanes in other states such as California and Michigan. It’s not hard to understand why they’re popular beyond the Lone Star State: They’re quite useful, especially in places with one-way frontage roads running alongside both sides of the freeway. Paired with restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT) intersections, these turnarounds are definitely one of the more unique ways to handle the U-turn.

So, how do you actually navigate one? First and foremost, you have to know these turnaround lanes won’t let you off the highway. They’re not an off-ramp or an exit lane — they’re only there to help you change direction. Of course, you should still treat them like other lanes when signaling to get over and making your way around the bend. That is to say: Signal, slow down, yield to the other drivers on the highway, and merge safely, just as you normally would when getting off and on the highway.