Which Way Do Barricade Stripes Tell You to Pass in Texas?

In work zones, the diagonal stripes on a barricade or vertical panel point you toward the side where traffic is meant to pass. The Texas handbook's rule is simple. Stripes sloping down to the right mean bear right. Stripes sloping down to the left mean bear left.

An easy way to remember it: follow the stripes downhill. Whichever side they run down to is the side you go around.

Barricades are one of several channelizing devices. When you meet any of them, slow down, get ready to change lanes when it's safe, and keep your speed down until a sign tells you the construction zone has ended.

Source: Texas Driver Handbook (DL-7, January 2026), page 36.