M-102 (8 Mile Road) Michigan Left directional fishhook sign

Description

One of the most dangerous and time-consuming maneuvers a driver can undertake is actually one of the simplest and most common—a left turn. That’s because of how many places a driver crosses other vehicles’ paths (engineers call them conflict points) when making a left turn across traffic.  A “Michigan Left” is a traffic routing strategy used in Michigan, and some other places, to manage left-turning traffic at intersections. Instead of allowing drivers to make a direct left turn at the intersection, vehicles must make a right turn, and then use a designated U-turn lane a short distance away from the traffic signal. This design reduces the likelihood of crashes and improves traffic flow by minimizing the conflict points typically associated with conventional left turns.

Of course, signage is needed to show drivers how to execute a Michigan Left to get where they want to go. And that is the job of a special sign that the Michigan Department of Transportation has titled the “M8-5a Route and Road Name Directional Fishhook” sign. This is our version of the directional fishhook sign. We made it according to the exact MDOT M8-5a specs used in the 1990s and 2000s, which means that it’s practically identical to the originals! For the street name and route number at the top, we’ve used the famous 8 Mile Road in metropolitan Detroit, which has the state designation of M-102.

Our 8 Mile Road Michigan Left directional fishhook sign is printed in Illinois on heavy 14-gauge American steel. It has a glossy, non-reflective finish that can stand up to even a brutal Michigan winter, making it equally well suited for display indoors or outdoors. Either way, the included mounting holes will make it easy to install. The original of this sign is eight feet wide and four feet tall, making it a bit unwieldy as a display piece. So we’ve scaled it down to a range of more convenient sizes:

• 16 in. × 8 in.
• 24 in. × 12 in.
• 36 in. × 18 in.
• 48 in. × 24 in.
• 72 in. × 36 in. (printed on two 36 in. × 36 in. halves)

We can customize this sign to include any name or route number you like! We can also make just about any other road sign too, from route markers to guide signs, and welcome signs to warning signs! Don’t see what you want on our website? Just place a custom order! It’s easy—just contact Jake to get started!