Work zone signs
Right Lane Closed sign
The right hand lane ends ahead due to work. Move left into the continuing lane before you reach the closure.
- Diamond
- Orange
- MUTCD W20-5R
Shape and background first
Federal designation W20-5R in the MUTCD, the national standard every state signs to. Common on multi lane highways during resurfacing or shoulder widening projects where only one side of the road needs to close.
What the MUTCD specifies
Designation: W20-5R
MUTCD Section 6H.07
Conventional road size: 36 x 36 in
Source: Federal Highway Administration, MUTCD 11th Edition (December 2023), Part 6, Table 6H-1, verified 2026-09-26.
What the test wants you to know
The mistake people make
The right of way logic mirrors an ordinary merge: the driver in the lane that is disappearing must fit into the lane that continues, not the other way around. A left lane closed version of this sign exists too, so read which side is named rather than assuming.
The sign people confuse it with
Right Lane Closed gets mixed up with Merge more than any other pairing in this category. Put them side by side and the difference is obvious, which is exactly why it is worth doing once rather than meeting them cold in the exam.
Right Lane Closed
The right hand lane ends ahead due to work.
Merge
Traffic from another roadway will join yours.
