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Saipan gets new ‘retroreflective’ road signs
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Posted on Jan 28 2005
By MARCONI CALINDAS
Reporter
In case you are wondering why almost all road signs on Saipan have turned from bright orange to fluorescent yellow, it’s all part of the 120-day road signs makeover being implemented by the Department of Public Works.
The road signs are now called retroreflective road signs, according to DPW’s Traffic, Highway, Maintenance and Beautification special project coordinator Frank C. Sablan.
He said this project, which cost over $100,000, was expected to be completed last year but the winning bidder, MAEDA Pacific Corp., had minor problems with the sizes of the actual signs not complying with the contract. He hopes, though, that all road signs will be replaced by the new retroreflective signs next month.
The visual information provided by the new road signs give motorists basic yet important instructions about the road ahead when selecting which road to take, safe intersections, warnings of physical obstructions, and advice of a safe path to travel.
Sablan said the signs are the motorists’ means of getting visual information about roadway conditions and these signs must be noticeable both in daytime and at night.
“This has been used on Guam and Hawaii,” he said. “They are called retroreflective road signs because once you see these signs the new color will instantly reflect back at you, making the signs very noticeable.”
According to studies made before the implementation of these signs, traffic control devices are created to be more visible at night by providing a “retroreflective surfaces,” “retroreflective buttons,” or, in some cases, by separate illumination. This provides significant reminders necessary for nighttime driving, making the signs stand out better at night.
DPW has included a continual maintenance program for the new retroreflective road signs to ensure timely replacements in due time.
