Picture it: You’re headed out on a road trip—or just your daily commute to work or school—and all of a sudden you see something peculiar on the road ahead. No, it’s not a traffic stop or a car crash, but a strange addition to the road itself. Instead of the typical white and yellow lines you normally see, now the lines are … orange?
If this sounds like an urban legend or sighting of the Loch Ness monster, rest assured orange lines on the highway are definitely real. What gives? When did these become a thing? Well, like those elusive pink traffic signs you may have heard about, orange lines on the road have a very specific meaning.
Orange lines are relatively new, so we had to do some digging to get to the bottom of the mystery. Ahead, we talk to Nigel Tunnacliffe, co-founder and CEO of Coastline Academy, the largest driving school in the country, and Paul Dorr, director of engineering design with the Traffic Group, a traffic engineering and transportation planning firm. Read on to learn what they have to say about orange lines on the highway.
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What do orange lines on the highway mean?
Orange lines on the highway are temporary markers letting drivers know they should slow down and drive with extra caution. “They are used in a variety of contexts, the most common of which are in construction zones or work zones,” Tunnacliffe says. Other uses include marking temporary traffic patterns and lane shifts.
“With an active construction zone, drivers are entering or within a work zone where construction, maintenance or utility work is occurring,” Dorr says. “With a temporary traffic pattern, the lane configuration is temporary and different from the permanent roadway layout. And, finally, with lane shifts, traffic flow has been redirected from its normal alignment.”
Construction zones are particularly dangerous: Nearly 900 people were killed and more than 40,000 were injured in work-zone crashes in 2023, according to the National Safety Council. Orange lines are being tested in multiple states as a way to focus driver attention and reduce death and injuries.
Where are orange lines being tested?
Orange highway striping is still new, but several states are testing out or have implemented orange lines on the highway. These include:
- Wisconsin: This was the first state to test orange highway lines about 10 years ago, and 80% of drivers said the markings increased work-zone awareness.
- Kentucky: This state was another early adopter. Starting in 2019, orange markings have been used on Interstate 75.
- Texas: The North Texas Tollway Authority tested orange pavement markings on the Sam Rayburn Tollway in 2020.
- Michigan: In 2022, a pilot project was initiated on Interstate 96 northwest of Detroit.
- Washington: Orange striping was tested in a work zone on I-5 near Tacoma in 2023.
- California: On Interstate 5, just north of San Diego, two patterns are being tested in a carpool-lane expansion construction zone.
- Indiana: Two locations are being studied—Indiana Toll Road in St. Joseph County and Interstate 65 in Boone County.
It remains to be seen if orange highway lines will be implemented nationwide, but residents are certainly noticing the change. California’s program is getting quite a bit of buzz! Evan Lovett, a Los Angeles resident and former L.A. Times reporter who runs the popular L.A. in a Minute Instagram and YouTube accounts, as well as the In a Minute with Evan Lovett podcast, has been tracking the orange striping and says it could be coming to L.A. soon.
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What should you do if you see orange lines on the highway?
For starters—slow down.
“Drivers should know that these supersede over all other pavement markings, including white or yellow pavement markings,” Dorr says. So if you see orange lines of any stripe, ease off the gas and follow all speed-limit signs.
Tunnacliffe echoes this sentiment: “When seeing orange lines on the road, drivers should gradually slow down once it is safe to do so,” he says. “Because these lines are often associated with construction zones, it may be advisable for drivers to make a lane change to put additional distance between themselves and construction personnel.”
Of course, it’s very important not to make erratic movements when driving, so Tunnacliffe stresses that it’s “important to only to do so when safe, and to be aware of the speed and position of the other drivers around you before making such a maneuver.”
Slowing down could save you money, too: Tunnacliffe says orange lines can mean higher penalties for traffic violations.
Why were orange lines chosen?
Orange draws more attention than traditional white and yellow lines, just based on brightness alone. The first state to test out orange lines on the highway, Wisconsin, chose orange because motorists were having difficulty seeing lane shifts and construction zones under winter’s film of salt and grime.
“Their brightness and distinctness from other road markings ensures that the beginning and ending of the slow-down zone are clear, helping drivers know exactly when they ought to slow down and when they are safe to speed up again,” Tunnacliffe says. “These lines also have the added benefit of being painted directly on the road, which makes them more easily and immediately visible to drivers than signs posted on the side of the road.”
And there’s one more perk. Tunnacliffe says that “unlike signs, orange lines do not require drivers to devote even a moment’s attention to reading them, but instantly indicate their message, allowing for quicker reaction times.”
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Sources:
- Paul Dorr, director of engineering design for the Traffic Group; interviewed, December 2025
- Nigel Tunnacliffe, co-founder and CEO of Coastline Academy; interviewed, December 2025
- National Safety Council: “Work Zones”
- American Traffic Safety Services Association: “Synthesis Report on the Application of Temporary Orange Markings in Work Zones”
- Instagram: “Orange lanes on the freeway coming to LA?”
- Indiana Department of Transportation: “INDOT Tests Orange Pavement Markings”
- KTLA: “Seeing orange and white lines on the freeway? Here’s what they mean”
- Fox6 Milwaukee: “Are they working? Motorists in Milwaukee the first in the country to be exposed to orange lane markings”
- WYMT: “KYTC paints orange lines in work zones to warn of construction”
- Kentucky Transportation Center: “Evaluation of Orange Pavement Striping for Use in Work Zones”
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