No Outlet Sign Design Guidelines

City Guidelines Regarding the Installation of “No Outlet” (W14-2 and W14-2a) Signs
Traffic Services Division of the Department of Public Works

Governing Document Reference:

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD), 2009 or latest edition and the Overland Park Municipal Code (OPMC), Title 12 – Traffic, Chapter 12.04.

MUTCD Requirements:

“No Outlet” (W14-2) signs may be used at the entrance to a road or road network from which there is no other exit.

The sign should be posted as near as practical to the entry point or at a sufficient advance distance to permit the road user to avoid the dead end or no outlet condition by turning at the nearest intersecting street.

“No Outlet” (W14-2a) plaques may be used in combination with the Street Name signs at intersections to warn turning traffic that the cross street ends in the direction indicated by the arrow instead of or in addition to the W14-2 signs. The “No Outlet” (W14-2a) plaque shall not be used instead of the W14-2 sign where traffic can proceed straight through the intersection into the no outlet area.

City of Overland Park Guidelines for Installation:

A field investigation is required to determine if a “No Outlet” sign or plaque is to be installed. The reviewer should stand at the intersection of the centerlines of both the dead end street and the through street. With a 3.5’ eye height, the reviewer should look down the dead end street to determine if the end of the cul-de-sac bulb can be clearly viewed.

If the end of the cul-de-sac bulb is visible from the 3.5’ eye height, the “No Outlet” sign or plaque should not be installed. If the end of the cul-de-sac bulb is not visible, the sign should be installed as near to the right hand corner as possible and clearly visible to approaching traffic.

In borderline cases, the location should be field checked at night to determine if the “No Outlet” sign is required. If it is difficult to see the end of the cul-de-sac bulb with the existing street lighting system in place, the sign should be installed.

The “No Outlet” plaque (W14-2a) shall be installed in conjunction with the Street Name sign whenever possible instead of the standard (W14-2) sign. However, the (W14-2) sign shall be installed in situations where traffic can proceed straight through the intersection to the dead end or no outlet street and where the (W14-2a) plaque in combination with the Street Name sign would have to be mounted parallel to the dead end or no outlet street and not be visible to the street user.

Signing Standards:

The “No Outlet” (W14-2) sign or the “No Outlet” (W14-2a) plaque shall have a black legend and border, on a retro-reflectorized yellow background. The size of the “No Outlet” (W14-2) sign shall be a minimum of 30” x 30” for conventional roads with single lane approaches and on multi-lane approaches when the speed limit is less than or equal to 35 mph and 36” x 36” for multi-lane approaches with speeds between 35 mph and 55 mph. The size of the (W14-2a) plaque shall be 36” x 12”.